Candling eggs means looking through the eggshell with a bright little lamp to see whether a hatching egg is fertile and whether the embryo is growing. This collection contains two candling lamps and the items for collecting and storing eggs: an egg tray, an egg basket and a plastic dummy egg.
Which candling lamp suits you?
| Lamp | Features |
|---|---|
| Gaun Egg Candling Lamp | Small torch (ø 3.6 x 11.2 cm) with an on/off button at the end; batteries are sold separately. |
| Kerbl LED candling lamp | Two rubber attachments for different egg sizes, from 18 mm; AA battery included. |
If you incubate quail or bantam eggs alongside ordinary hen's eggs, an attachment that fits the small egg helps: less light leaks past the shell and you see more.
How to candle a hatching egg
Work in a dark room and hold the lamp against the blunt end of the egg, where the air cell is. After about a week of incubation, you will see a dark spot with blood vessels around it in a fertile egg. If the egg stays clear, it is probably infertile. If you see a red ring without vessels, development has stopped. Remove such eggs from the incubator so they do not go off. Candle quickly and put the egg back straight away; brown or speckled shells let through less light and are harder to judge.
Collecting and storing
With the Gaun egg basket (ø 20 x 15 cm), you collect the eggs without them rolling against each other. The transparent Gaun egg tray holds 12 eggs; it is made of plastic and easy to clean. You place the Gaun plastic egg in the nest box to show hens where they can lay, for example when young hens are just starting.
If you are going further, see incubators or read about rearing chicks with a heat lamp. Nest boxes themselves are in nest boxes and perches, and everything about incubation in incubators and chicks.
Frequently asked questions
When do I candle the eggs for the first time?
After about a week of incubation, blood vessels are usually clearly visible. Many keepers candle again later to remove eggs that are not developing further.
Is candling bad for the egg?
Brief candling is common practice. Do not keep the egg out of the incubator for too long and handle the shell carefully.
Does a candling lamp also work on dark eggs?
It works, but brown and speckled shells let through less light. Candle in a room that is as dark as possible, then you will see the most.