How to Candle a Chicken Egg
- By Suzie OConnor
- Published 02/13/2010
- Pets
- Unrated
Raising chickens can be a difficult task. You must feed them, water them and make sure that they have adequate accommodations. But if you are not raising laying hens, then you are more than likely breeding chickens. This is something that is quite necessary, as the world needs as many chickens as it can get. Before you are actually able to breed those chickens however, there are some things that you will need to do. The most important thing you can do is candle your chicken eggs.
Okay so maybe that sounds a bit odd, and admittedly, it is. Basically you are trying to illuminate the eggs in such a way that you will be able to see their contents. Based on what you see within, you will be able to tell whether or not the egg is still fertile.
There are a few ways that you can illuminate the interior of your egg. Many people choose to use a flashlight, as this is a quick and cheap method of going about it. Then there are those who would much rather choose a more efficient option. An egg candler is a great choice, as it is able to illuminate chick eggs, duck eggs, and even goose eggs.
To go about examining your eggs, there are a few things that you will need to look for. The first thing you will need to know is how to identify an unfertilized egg. This is pretty easy, because when you illuminate the egg all you will see is a simple yolk. The yolk will not be entirely visible yet, but that is to be expected. In other words, a male of the species has gone nowhere near this egg.
A fertilized egg will show up quite nicely, especially if it's been five to ten days after fertilization. Typically you will see red veins in a mixture of yellow pulp. At this stage the egg is still developing, and at some point the chick will occupy the whole of the egg until such time as the chick is born.
If the egg is fertilized, it will be completely dark inside, and you will be unable to see within. There is a chick growing inside the egg, and if you are curious, you can check to see how long an egg takes to hatch. If the time is exceeded, then the chick is probably dead. Now if you are to look inside the egg and find that it has no yolk, then the egg is unfertilized, and furthermore it needs to be throw out.
The best way to keep your eggs from becoming infertile or dead is by turning them on a regular basis. You can do this by employing the use of an automatic turner, but the best way to turn the eggs is to allow your hens to do the deed for you. This is what they do in nature and keeping the eggs turned will ensure that you have great success when candling them.
Okay so maybe that sounds a bit odd, and admittedly, it is. Basically you are trying to illuminate the eggs in such a way that you will be able to see their contents. Based on what you see within, you will be able to tell whether or not the egg is still fertile.
There are a few ways that you can illuminate the interior of your egg. Many people choose to use a flashlight, as this is a quick and cheap method of going about it. Then there are those who would much rather choose a more efficient option. An egg candler is a great choice, as it is able to illuminate chick eggs, duck eggs, and even goose eggs.
To go about examining your eggs, there are a few things that you will need to look for. The first thing you will need to know is how to identify an unfertilized egg. This is pretty easy, because when you illuminate the egg all you will see is a simple yolk. The yolk will not be entirely visible yet, but that is to be expected. In other words, a male of the species has gone nowhere near this egg.
A fertilized egg will show up quite nicely, especially if it's been five to ten days after fertilization. Typically you will see red veins in a mixture of yellow pulp. At this stage the egg is still developing, and at some point the chick will occupy the whole of the egg until such time as the chick is born.
If the egg is fertilized, it will be completely dark inside, and you will be unable to see within. There is a chick growing inside the egg, and if you are curious, you can check to see how long an egg takes to hatch. If the time is exceeded, then the chick is probably dead. Now if you are to look inside the egg and find that it has no yolk, then the egg is unfertilized, and furthermore it needs to be throw out.
The best way to keep your eggs from becoming infertile or dead is by turning them on a regular basis. You can do this by employing the use of an automatic turner, but the best way to turn the eggs is to allow your hens to do the deed for you. This is what they do in nature and keeping the eggs turned will ensure that you have great success when candling them.
Suzie OConnor
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