Ben Carter
Candling is a method used to check whether a chicken egg is fertile and developing properly. It involves shining a bright light through the egg to see what's going on inside without cracking it open. The term candling comes from the traditional practice of using a candle, but nowadays, a strong flashlight or a commercial candler like a Cool-Lite Tester or Brinsea Ovascope is often used. The process helps identify winners (fertilized and developing eggs) and quitters or yolkers (non-fertilized or non-developing eggs). When candling, it's important to work quickly in a dark room, checking for indicators such as veins, blood vessels, air sac size, and embryo movement.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Days to candle | 3, 6-8, 7, 14, 18 |
| Lighting | Dark room, bright light |
| Egg placement | Wide end of the egg (air cell end) |
| Egg condition | Clear, no veins or dark spots indicate infertility |
| Egg condition | Dark shape, spider-like veins indicate fertility |
| Egg condition | Dark interior, less light passing through, continued movement |
| Egg condition | Vague ring inside, little or no veins indicate a bad egg |
| Egg condition | Distinct blood spot with little or no veins indicate a bad egg |
| Egg condition | Lack of development compared to other eggs |
| Egg condition | Cracks in the shell |
| Egg condition | Well-defined red circle (blood ring) indicates a "quitter" |
| Egg condition | Dark outline at the center of the blood vessels indicates an embryo |
| Egg condition | Dark eyes of the embryo or movement indicate a "winner" |
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What You'll Learn
How to candle an egg
Candling is a simple method used to check if a chicken egg is fertile and developing properly. It involves shining a bright light through the egg to see what's going on inside without cracking it open. The term "candling" comes from the old-school practice of using candles, but today, a strong flashlight works just fine.
- Wash your hands before and after handling eggs. Oil from your fingers can clog the pores in the eggshell and keep the embryo from getting the oxygen it needs.
- Use a bright light source in a dark room. A strong flashlight works great. Alternatively, you could use a desk lamp with a bright, low-energy light bulb placed inside a cardboard box with a small, round hole cut in the top, just big enough for the pointed end of your egg.
- Place the narrow end of the egg gently against the light.
- Examine the contents of the egg.
Here's what to look for:
- Day 3: Veins may start to be apparent.
- Day 6-7: A fertile egg will show a small dark spot (the embryo) with red veins branching out and a visible air sac. You might even catch a little movement! If you don't see veins or an air sac, it's likely the egg isn't developing.
- Day 8: You should be able to see the chick wiggling and kicking in its egg. The yolk can move around a little, but if it moves around a lot and looks more like a cloud, it's likely a broken yolk and the egg won't survive. Little black dots that wiggle are a good sign.
- Day 14: A healthy chick should take up most of the egg. Look for a darker interior, less light passing through, and continued movement. If it still looks clear or hasn't changed since Day 7, the egg likely isn't viable and should be removed.
Remember, the above timeline is just a guide, and the development of an egg can vary depending on various factors.
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Indicators of a fertile egg
Candling is a simple method used to check if a chicken egg is fertile and developing properly. It involves shining a bright light through the egg to see what's going on inside without cracking it open.
Day 1
If you candle a fertile chicken egg right after it is laid, without giving it time to incubate, it will look clear, just like an infertile egg. Therefore, it is recommended to wait at least until Day 4 or Day 5 to candle an egg.
Day 4-7
Some embryos will develop more quickly and be visible by Day 4, while others will not be visible until Day 7. By Day 6 or Day 7, a fertile egg will show a small dark spot (the embryo) with spider-like or spidery red veins branching out and a visible air sac.
Day 14
By Day 14, a healthy chick should take up most of the egg. The egg will have a darker interior, less light passing through, and continued movement. The egg will be getting full, and it will be harder to see the embryo.
Day 18
At this point, the egg is close to hatching. The embryo is so big that it blocks out most of the light from candling. One of the air sacs may still be illuminated.
It is important to note that eggs with thick or dark shells can be harder to candle, and it may be necessary to use a brighter light in a darker room to see the interior clearly. Additionally, it is recommended to candle eggs twice: once on Day 7 to check for early signs of life, and again on Day 14 to ensure the egg is developing properly.
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Indicators of an infertile egg
Candling is a simple method used to check if a chicken egg is fertile and developing properly. It involves shining a bright light through the egg to see what's going on inside without cracking it open. The process is usually done in a dark room, and the light source can be a basic household torch or a fancier device like an Ovascope.
- If the egg is clear inside, with no veins or dark spots, it is likely infertile.
- If there is no change by Day 7, the egg may not be viable. By Day 7, a fertile egg will show a small dark spot (the embryo) with red veins branching out and a visible air sac.
- By Day 14, a healthy chick will fill most of the egg, making the interior darker with less light passing through. If there is no change by Day 14, the egg is likely infertile.
- Cracked eggs are another indicator of infertility. These eggs are susceptible to harmful bacteria, which can affect embryo development and cause premature death.
It is important to identify and remove infertile eggs during the incubation process. Otherwise, they can rot and burst inside the incubator, contaminating other eggs and creating a foul odour.
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Indicators of a winner egg
A winner is a fertilized egg that is developing properly. To identify a winner, there are several indicators to look out for when candling a chicken egg:
Day 6-7
On day 6 or 7, a fertilized egg will show a small dark spot, which is the embryo, with red veins branching out from it. This network of blood vessels will be visible and will spread from the center of the egg outwards. The embryo will be harder to see with weaker candling equipment, but you may be able to make out the darker top half of the egg where the embryo is developing. With a good candler, you may even be able to see the dark outline of the embryo at the center of the blood vessels.
Day 7-10
Around days 7 to 10, you will be able to see the chick's eye, which appears as a big black spot moving around, and the shadow of the chick's body as it continues to grow.
Day 14
By day 14, the egg will be getting full, and it will be harder to see inside. The healthy chick should take up most of the egg, and you should still be able to see continued movement. The egg should appear darker, with less light passing through.
Indicators of a Winner
The indicators of a winner egg are the presence of a visible network of blood vessels, the dark outline of the embryo, and the ability to see the embryo's eyes, which are the darkest spots inside the egg. You may even be lucky enough to see the embryo moving!
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Indicators of a quitter egg
Candling is a method used to check if a chicken egg is fertile and developing properly. It involves shining a bright light through the egg to see what's going on inside without cracking it open.
A "quitter" is a fertilized egg that stops developing during incubation. Here are some indicators of a quitter egg:
Day 6-7
On day 6 or 7, a fertile egg will typically show a small dark spot (the embryo) with red veins branching out and a visible air sac. If the egg is a quitter, the embryo will be visible, but the contents will be cloudy and may move around as the egg is rotated. This indicates that the embryo has started to develop and then died.
Day 14
By day 14, a healthy chick should take up most of the egg, making it harder to see inside. A quitter egg on day 14 will still look clear or unchanged from day 7, indicating that it is unlikely to be viable.
Day 20
In some cases, a quitter egg may not be identified until day 20, when the internal space should be filled with a chick or yolk sac. If the egg is a quitter, the chick may appear underdeveloped, and there may be signs of decay such as a foul smell or an explosion.
It is important to identify and remove quitter eggs from the incubator to prevent them from rotting and exploding, which can expose other eggs to bacteria and disease.
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Frequently asked questions
Candling is a simple method used to check if an egg is fertile and developing properly. It involves shining a bright light through the egg to see what’s going on inside without cracking it open.
You should look for a dark shape (the embryo) with spider-like veins. If the egg is infertile, it will look clear with no dark spot or blood vessels. You should also look for cracks in the shell, which can allow bacteria to enter the egg and kill the embryo.
The best times to candle a chicken egg are on days 7, 14, and 18 of incubation.
