toastedblue Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 (edited) we've got 3 french wheaton maran eggs in the incubator and, because they're so dark, it's not possible to candle them so, is it possible to tell if chicks are developing by weighing the eggs ? thanks Edited March 24, 2009 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westleigh Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 i can see why you have a prob hadnt thought about such dark eggs and being unable to candle them,i will be interested if you get any replies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..lay a little egg for me Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 No idea, but I don't think that weighing is likely to work as they have all their food in there with them, so the yolk gets turned into chick with no change in weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toastedblue Posted March 17, 2009 Author Share Posted March 17, 2009 weighed the eggs last night, at 5 days, and they've all lost 2 grams don't know if that's a fault with the scales though, will try again in a couple of days also tried candling them without much success, the shell is just too dark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westleigh Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 oww i hope they are fertile sounds like they are good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westleigh Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Hi hows it going?have you tried to candle again? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toastedblue Posted March 24, 2009 Author Share Posted March 24, 2009 just weighed them today and 2 have dropped by 5 grams the third by 4 grams after 12 days not sure if this is good news or not ? tried candling them with my feeble LED torch and couldn't tell if anything is growing inside if anyone near me has a proper candling torch, and would lend it to me for a couple of hours, I'd be very grateful thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 No idea, but I don't think that weighing is likely to work as they have all their food in there with them, so the yolk gets turned into chick with no change in weight. That isn't right, tbh...they lose weight at a steady rate during incubation. Info **here** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westleigh Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 How many days to go now? i have just put 20 eggs in 19 days to go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toastedblue Posted March 27, 2009 Author Share Posted March 27, 2009 How many days to go now? i have just put 20 eggs in 19 days to go 5 days left and still no idea if they're fertile Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toastedblue Posted March 27, 2009 Author Share Posted March 27, 2009 this is what happened last time... http://www.childminder.eclipse.co.uk/hatching_lemon_brahma.avi it's 3.7mbs and lasts about 100 seconds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westleigh Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 this is what happened last time... http://www.childminder.eclipse.co.uk/hatching_lemon_brahma.avi it's 3.7mbs and lasts about 100 seconds sorry for some reason it wont play,did your last lot hatch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toastedblue Posted March 27, 2009 Author Share Posted March 27, 2009 sorry for some reason it wont play,did your last lot hatch it's an avi file, should play with windows media player yes, 2 out of 3 hatched, which was pure fluke as the person who gave us the eggs wasn't sure if they were even fertile here's hoping at least one hatches AND it's not a cockeral this time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westleigh Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 i only had a 3 egg incubator last year and i put in 3 of my girls eggs,only one was firtile of which hatched it was a girl so was able to keep her i hope that you have the same luck,let me know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feemcg Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 I have an LED candler from Solway feeders so could see inside my Marans eggs.....could see in them with my Brinsea candler too but the eggs got very hot. Even if you can't see the veins or the chick moving......or an eye staring through the shell which is amazing......you should be able to see about 3/4 of the egg as a dark mass and the top end 1/4 (or blunt end) light and transparent. At day 19/20 you can sometimes see a little pointy beak going into the air sac. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 I have a small Magilite torch and that seems to do the trick. I can see movement and the dark mass as described by fee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 Keeping my fingers crossed for you Les and Karen. Egluntine congratulations and when is your confinement? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westleigh Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Hi just read on the net that hatching eggs weight will drop by 12% during incubation so it would sem that your eggs are going to hatch how many have you got in?i have 20 at the moment but not sure if they are firtile or not yet,good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiblick Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 I haven't even got hens yet and I want babies! Good luck to all who are incubating at the moment. Going to join you next year with a 20 egg batch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toastedblue Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 ours have started moving, 2 days early !!! 2 are very much more mobile than the 3rd (typical it's the biggest egg) might put the webcam on them again, will see how it goes fingers crossed they're all hens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westleigh Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 sooooooo funny when they start to move about isnt it,my husband thought i had lost the plot when i told him the eggs were moving and then he saw it for himself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Keeping my fingers crossed for you Les and Karen. Egluntine congratulations and when is your confinement? Later this week and no sign of Branston Pickles yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toastedblue Posted March 31, 2009 Author Share Posted March 31, 2009 hmmm, they're not moving very much today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toastedblue Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share Posted April 1, 2009 just as an update, 1 has hatched, another has pipped but hasn't got any further, it's not even moving the 3rd seems to be a dud, no movement or pipping the hatchling is sort of a light strawberry blonde colour Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 aww what a sweetie! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
