Okay--I've got brown eggs in the incubator and it still early in their incubation (about 5 days) but I can't see any veins. These are the "old" Barnevelder eggs and may not be viable, but it seems like they have changed--I know that a nasty dark mass is a bad, but I've also seen that as the chick develops the yolk becomes more distinct and that is more what this appears to be. I've done the dark room candling with a maglite flashlight and a toilet roll and have graduated to a dark room with a maglite and a ceramic flower pot. The eggs just seem too dark and thick to see through clearly. I've looked at other threads--but what is the best method anyone has discovered with dark brown eggs? And how, smell aside, will I know if they are not developing?
Dark shadow in egg: good or bad?
you will eventually see something. or smell something. 16 bucks seemed like a lot for a cool lite candler at the time. but it worked so much better than the maglite, i don't even need a completely dark room, and just candled them in the egg turner. then DH put a switch in the cord for me. so i used it to check them in the hatcher to make sure i had no DeadInShells at any point...
i have some cadnling pics i will try to load later, that i took using the mag lite on some pretty dark shells, the BLRW that had TACs and didn't make it...
Hi TamaraFaye, I hope you are feeling better! I did buy a candler at NASCO which has a store about 40 miles from here. It was $12 and could be used in the incubator, but when I got it home I found the bulb was broken......I haven't been able to find another bulb to replace it locally. What kind did you buy?
the cool light from Meyer Hatchery. i recall they had replacement bulbs too, so maybe NASCO does?
Thanks, NASCO does, but I haven't been going that way----I could probably order one on-line, but it would take too long to get here. I'll probably go down tomorrow and buy a couple bulbs (maybe a new kind of candler too).
they ought to give you good service and actually MAIL you a couple of bulbs...?
I'm sorry, but I have to grin just a little at the bargain
I got on my cool lite tester- $9.98 direct from GQF mfg.
https://www.gqfmfg.com/store/comersus_viewItem.asp?idProduct=284
They also sell extra bulbs for a couple dollars.
I am trying my best to wait til the 10th day to candle
the quail eggs. These are cream, but when I had the
coturnix in the bator, they are very dark with brown
speckles- hard to see in. I found if I look at them
before the 10th day, I speculate and guess at what I'm
seeing. After at least a week or so, I got better at it, and
I was more certain of what I was looking at.