Maddie James
Candling is the process of shining a bright light through a duck egg to check for embryo development. It is important to look out for signs of life, such as veins and blood vessels, which indicate that the embryo is growing. The air sac should also be monitored for size, as this indicates the humidity of the incubator. If the air sac is too big or too small, the incubator's humidity is incorrect, and adjustments should be made. By day 12, movement may be visible, and by day 22, the embryo fills most of the egg. It is not recommended to candle eggs during the last few days of incubation, as the chick moves into position to hatch.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Day to candle | Day 4, Day 7, Day 14 |
| Lighting | Bright light, LED torches, Flashlight |
| Room | Dark room |
| Egg placement | Small end down |
| Egg inspection | Veins, Blood vessels, Air sac, Movement, Blood ring |
| Egg weight loss | 14% by day 25 |
| Air sac | Should occupy 1/4 to 1/3 of the total space inside the egg by day 25 |
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What You'll Learn
How to build a candler
Candling is the application of bright light to a duck egg to see what is inside. To build a candler, you will need a bright light source. A desk lamp with a bright, low-energy lightbulb will work, or a modern LED torch that does not give off much heat. Place your chosen light source inside a cardboard box and cut a small, round hole in the top of the box, just big enough for the pointed end of an egg.
It is important that the room is very dark, and that all the light from the lamp or torch goes into the egg. If necessary, hold your hand around the end of the light source so that no light shines directly onto the outside of the shell and bounces into your eyes.
To candle a duck egg, you should wait until day 4 of incubation, and then again on day 7. By day 4, you may be able to see some light veining on the eggs, and the air sac at the wide end should be starting to expand. By day 7, you should definitely be able to tell which eggs are developing and which are not. By day 12, you may be able to see movement if you hold the egg still during candling, and by day 14, the air sac at the blunt end of the egg will have grown larger.
When candling, look out for clear, distinct veins—this indicates that the embryo is alive. If you do not see clear, distinct veins, it is probably not alive. By day 22, the embryo fills so much of the egg that you will not be able to see much other than around the air sac. If you candle on day 26 or 27, you may see the bill of the duck moving inside the air sac.
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How to hold the egg
Holding the egg correctly is crucial to the candling process. The correct way to do this is as follows: place the larger end of the egg (where the air sac is) directly against the light. Hold the egg near the top, between your thumb and forefinger. Tilt the egg slightly to one side and rotate it until you get a clear view of the interior.
It is important to ensure that the room is very dark and that all the light from the flashlight or candling light enters the egg. If necessary, hold your hand around the end of the flashlight so no light shines directly onto the outside of the shell and bounces into your eyes. This makes it difficult to see inside the egg. All the light produced by the flashlight must enter the egg.
If you are on a budget, you can build your own egg candler by placing a desk lamp (using a bright low-energy lightbulb) inside a cardboard box. Cut a small, round hole in the top of the box, just big enough for the pointed end of your egg.
When candling, it is important to hold the egg still so that you can see any movement inside the egg. You should also mark each egg with a number and take notes on your findings so that you can compare the results of multiple candlings.
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What to look for on day 4
When candling a duck egg on day 4, you should look for the "spider" and some veins forming. The air sac at the wide end of the egg should also start expanding. If you are unsure about the development of some eggs, you can wait until day 7 to candle them again, at which point it will be clearer which eggs are developing and which are not.
By day 4, the digestive tract, nervous system, and circulatory systems of the embryo have formed. The eyes, ears, and brain have begun to form, and the heart has started beating. The embryo has leg buds, and the tail and bill have started to develop.
It is important to candle eggs in a dark room, with all the light from the flashlight entering the egg. This makes it easier to see inside the egg. Before setting your hatching eggs, you should candle them to look for cracks, which could cause the egg to become contaminated and not hatch.
By day 4, you may be able to see some light veining on the eggs. However, it is still early in the embryo's development, so you may not see much.
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What to look for on day 7
On day 7 of candling a duck egg, you should be able to see signs of development and determine the viability of the embryo. It is important to look for veins and blood vessels, which indicate that the embryo is alive and developing. Clear and distinct veins are a good sign, while a lack of veins or vague rings inside the egg may indicate that the embryo is not developing properly.
By day 7, the embryo would have already formed its digestive tract, nervous system, and circulatory systems. The eyes, ears, and brain would have also started to form, and the heart would have begun beating. The embryo would have leg buds, and its tail and bill would be developing.
When candling, it is important to use a bright light, such as a flashlight or a candling light, in a dark room to ensure that all the light enters the egg. This technique, called "candling," allows you to see inside the egg by shining a direct beam of light through the eggshell.
It is recommended to candle duck eggs after 7 days of incubation to check on the embryo's development. However, some sources suggest candling as early as day 4, as by then, you may start to see some light veining and the expansion of the air sac at the wide end of the egg.
If you notice any cracks on the eggshell during candling, use softened beeswax to seal minor cracks. Additionally, be sure to have clean and dry hands when handling the eggs, as oil from your fingers can clog the pores in the shell and affect the embryo's oxygen supply.
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What to do if you see veins
If you see veins while candling a duck egg, it is likely that the egg is alive. The veins you see are blood vessels, which are a critical feature in determining whether the egg is alive.
On day 4, you may start to see some light veining on the eggs. By day 7, you should be able to see the embryo and spider-like veins, which are cloudy in appearance. If the veins are cloudy, this could indicate possible early death. By day 12, you may be able to see movement if you hold the egg still during candling.
On day 14, the egg will be getting full, and it will be harder to see the embryo. You may, however, be able to see blood vessels close to the shell.
If you see clear, distinct veins on day 26 or 27, you will likely also see the bill of the duck moving inside the air sac.
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Frequently asked questions
Candling is the application of bright light to an egg to see what is inside. It is used to check for cracks, the embryo's development, and signs of infection.
On day 4, you should look for the "spider" and some veins forming. By day 7, you should be able to tell which eggs are developing and which aren't. By day 12, you may be able to see movement if you hold the egg still. On day 14, the air sac in the blunt end of the egg will have grown larger, and the egg will be getting darker as it is filled with more bird.
A vague ring inside the egg, a distinct blood spot, and a lack of development compared to other eggs are all signs that a duck egg may no longer be viable.
