Brooke Martin
Candling is the process of using a high-powered light source to view the growing embryo inside an egg. When it comes to guinea eggs, it is recommended to wait 10 days after the start of the incubation period before candling, as the eggs have thicker shells than chicken eggs, making them harder to candle. On Day 7, you should see a small dark spot with a few blood vessels radiating from it. By Day 14, the embryo is much larger, and it should be difficult to see through the egg when candling.
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What You'll Learn
Candling on day 10
Candling is a process in which a high-powered light source is used to view the growing embryo inside an egg. It is a good practice to candle eggs during the first 25 days of the incubation period to monitor the development of the embryo. While it is possible to see development as early as 5 days into incubation, many sources recommend candling on days 7 and 14, as these are the best days to observe changes in the embryo. On day 7, the embryo will resemble a spider on the yolk, and you should be able to see a small dark spot with a few blood vessels radiating from it. By day 14, the embryo is much larger, and it will be difficult to see through the egg when candling.
To candle the eggs, you will need a strong flashlight or a candling light. Place the light source against the egg and look inside. On day 10, you may see some development, but the embryo will not be as visible as it will be on day 14. If you are unable to see any development, don't be discouraged, as some find that guinea eggs are harder to candle compared to chicken eggs.
If you notice that some embryos are not developing, it is important to remove and discard these eggs before lockdown, which is usually around day 25. This is to avoid a rotten egg exploding inside the incubator and ruining the rest of the hatch.
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What to look for on day 7
To successfully hatch guinea fowl eggs, it is important to understand the process of incubation. The first 25 days are crucial, as you will need to turn the eggs by hand at least every eight hours to prevent the tiny embryo from sticking to the shell membrane and dying. During this time, it is also important to monitor the temperature and humidity, making adjustments as needed.
Now, on to candling. Candling is a technique used to observe the growing embryo inside an egg by using a high-powered light source. It is an essential tool for anyone looking to hatch their own guinea fowl eggs, as it allows you to monitor the development of the embryo and identify any potential issues.
When candling guinea eggs on day 7, here's what you should look for:
Day 7 Candling
On day 7, the embryo will be in its early stages of development. When you candle the egg, you should see a small dark spot with a few blood vessels radiating from it. This dark spot is the embryo, and it will resemble a spider on the yolk. At this stage, the embryo is still quite small, so it may be difficult to see, but with a high-powered light source, you should be able to observe this early development.
Humidity and Temperature
In addition to candling, it is crucial to maintain proper humidity and temperature levels in your incubator. For the first 25 days, the humidity should be maintained between 45% and 55%. You can adjust the humidity by adding water to the water reservoir as needed. As for temperature, the incubator should be set to 99-99.5°F for forced air and 101-102°F for still air. It is important to ensure that the temperature remains steady, as fluctuations can impact the development of the embryos.
Lockdown Period
The final three days before hatching, known as the "lockdown" period, are crucial. During this time, you should not open the incubator, as the embryos are preparing to hatch. Any disturbances during this period can impact the hatching process. It is also important to increase the humidity to around 65-70% during these final days to provide the optimal environment for hatching.
Day 14 Candling
While this article focuses on day 7, it is worth mentioning that day 14 is another critical candling day. By this time, the embryo is much larger, and it will be difficult to see through the egg when candling. However, you should still be able to observe the embryo through the air sac at the large end of the egg. If any embryos appear to not be developing at this stage, it is important to remove and discard those eggs to prevent them from rotting and exploding inside the incubator, which could ruin the entire hatch.
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What to look for on day 14
To begin hatching guinea fowl eggs, you should first let them rest in an egg carton, slightly tilted, before setting them in a prewarmed incubator. The incubator should be set up and running at least 24 hours prior to placing the eggs inside. During the first 25 days, you will need to monitor the temperature and humidity, adding water to the water reservoir as necessary to maintain the humidity.
It is good practice to "candle" the eggs on days 7 and 14, using a high-powered light source to view the growing embryo. On day 14, the embryo is much larger and it will be difficult to see through the egg when candling. However, you should be able to see through the air sac at the large end of the egg. If any embryos appear to not be developing, remove and discard these eggs to avoid a rotten egg exploding inside the incubator and ruining the rest of the hatch.
On day 14, the egg is getting full, and it's harder to see inside. Try looking from both ends. You should be able to see veins beneath the chick. If you are concerned about the humidity, you may want to check the eggs more often to check the air sac size.
After day 14, the embryo is less active, so you are less likely to see movement. From days 25 to 28, you will stop turning the eggs, increase the humidity, and let the keets get ready to hatch.
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Candling during lockdown
Candling is an important part of the process when hatching guinea fowl eggs. It involves using a high-powered light source to view the growing embryo inside the egg. This is done by shining a light through the egg, allowing you to see the embryo and check for development.
Guinea eggs have thicker shells than chicken eggs, so it is harder to candle them and it is recommended to wait until at least day 10 of incubation to candle guinea eggs. Some sources suggest waiting until day 16 or even day 18, as by this time the egg should be mostly dark with some shape to the dark mass, and you should be able to see the embryo more clearly.
During the first 25 days of the incubation period, you should turn the eggs by hand at least every 8 hours, and monitor the temperature and humidity. On day 25, you should stop turning the eggs and increase the humidity to around 65-70%. The final 3 days of the incubation period are known as "lockdown". During lockdown, you should not open the incubator until all the chicks have hatched and dried off.
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How to candle
Candling is a process that involves using a high-powered light source to view the growing embryo inside a guinea egg. It is important to candle eggs to monitor their development and remove any that have stopped developing, as these can explode inside the incubator and ruin the rest of the hatch.
To candle guinea eggs, you will need a strong light source, such as a flashlight or a candling light. You should turn off the lights in the room to reduce interference and improve your visibility. Place the egg in front of the light source and shine the light through the egg, starting from the large end. This will allow you to see the embryo inside.
It is recommended to candle guinea eggs on days 7 and 14 of the incubation period to observe changes in the embryo. On day 7, you should see a small dark spot with a few blood vessels radiating from it. By day 14, the embryo should be much larger, and it will be difficult to see through the egg. However, you should still be able to see through the air sac at the large end of the egg.
If you are candling towards the end of the incubation period (around day 25), it is crucial to remove any eggs that have stopped developing. At this stage, the keets will be hatching soon and running around inside the incubator, so it is important to avoid any disruptions.
Some people also choose to candle their eggs before placing them in the incubator to ensure they are fertile. This can be done as early as 5 days after incubation begins, but development may not be visible until day 10.
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Frequently asked questions
Day 7 and Day 14 are the best days to candle guinea eggs to observe changes in the embryo. On Day 7, you should see a small dark spot with a few blood vessels radiating from it.
Candling is necessary to check for development. If any embryos appear to not be developing by Day 14, remove and discard these eggs to avoid a rotten egg exploding inside the incubator and ruining the rest of the hatch.
Candling involves using a high-powered light source to view the growing embryo.
There is no set rule on how often you should candle guinea eggs. However, it is recommended to candle them at least twice during the incubation period: on Days 7 and 14.
On Day 14, the embryo is much larger, and it should be difficult to see through the egg when candling. However, you should be able to see through the air sac at the large end of the egg. By Day 18, you should see a mostly dark egg, with some shape to the dark mass, and there will usually still be a little clear fluid that has not been filled in with the growing keet yet, at the area below the air cell (at the big end of the egg).
