Egg Candling Guide for Beginners - Incubator Warehouse

If you are new to hatching eggs, candling may feel a bit scary at first. But don’t worry. It’s much easier than it sounds. Think of egg candling as holding a tiny flashlight to the egg to peek at the little life growing inside. It’s a gentle way to check if a chick is growing well without cracking the shell.

When you shine a bright light behind the egg, you can see veins, shadows, and even small movements. It's like watching a soft, warm glow show. Farmers do this. Kids in school do this. And now, you can do it too.

This guide walks you through everything in a friendly, step-by-step way so even a total beginner can follow along.

What candling an egg means and why people do it.

Candling is simply checking an egg with an intense light. You use it to see if a chick is growing inside. It’s like holding a torch to a balloon to see what’s inside.

Here are two simple examples:

A farmer can candle an egg to see if it has a growing chick or if it is empty.
A student hatching eggs in class can candle eggs to watch the baby chick move inside.

Egg candling helps you in three main ways:

Check fertility: You can see if the egg has a living embryo.
Track growth: You can see the veins and the tiny body as it gets bigger.
Remove dead eggs: You can spot eggs that have stopped growing, so they don’t harm healthy ones.

Regular eggs show clear veins, an air cell, and a dark moving spot. Abnormal eggs may show no veins, a blood ring, or a dark egg with no movement.

The tools you need to candle eggs the right way.

To candle eggs, you only need a few simple tools. These tools help you see inside the egg without breaking it.

A small egg candler can shine a strong light into a chicken egg.
A bright flashlight can also work if you do not have a candler.

Main Tools You Need:

Egg candler: A store-bought light made for egg candling. It is small and bright.
Flashlight: You can candle an egg with a flashlight. Just hold the egg over the light.
Correct holding method: Hold the egg gently with one hand and keep the small end down.
Dark room: A dark room makes the inside of the egg easier to see.

Quick safety tips:

Do not shake the egg.
Do not keep the egg out of the incubator for too long.
Hold the egg firmly but softly.

The best times to candle eggs during incubation.

Egg candling works best when you do it on the right days. This helps you see real progress without harming the growing chick.

Best Times to Candle Eggs

Day 1–7: You check for veins and early signs of life.
Day 10: The embryo should be bigger and easier to see.
Day 14: Most of the egg will look dark because the chick has grown a lot.
Day 18 (lockdown): This is the last safe day to candle. After this, do not open the incubator.

Different Birds

Chicken eggs: Candle on Days 7, 10, and 14.
Duck eggs: Candle on Days 7, 14, and 21 because they take longer.
Quail eggs: Candle around Days 7 and 14.

Important Warning

Do not candle eggs too often. It can harm the embryo. Also, avoid candling after lockdown.

How to candle eggs the safe way.

Candling eggs may feel a little tricky at first, but it becomes easier with practice. Each time you check an egg, you learn more about what a healthy embryo looks like. You also learn how to spot problems early. This helps you protect the strong eggs and remove the ones that have stopped growing. Remember, the goal of candling is not just to see inside the egg. It is to make sure every chick has the best chance to grow and hatch safely. Take your time, stay calm, and follow each step carefully.

Step-by-step method

Wash your hands. Clean hands keep eggs safe.
Go to a dark room. Darkness makes the inside easier to see.
Hold the egg upright. Keep the small end down. Hold gently.
Place the egg on the light. Put the big end near the light source.
Look for the veins and the embryo. You may see tiny lines or a dark spot that moves.
Turn the egg slowly. Check all sides. Do not drop it.
Compare with an egg candling chart. A chart shows what each stage should look like.
Place the egg back gently. Put it back in the incubator the same way.

Tips for special cases

How to candle eggs at home: Use a flashlight or a small candler.
How to candle a chicken egg: Candle on Days 7, 10, and 14.
How to candle dark eggs: Hold the light closer and check longer.

Egg Candling Day by Day

Candling tells you a lot about what’s happening inside the egg. Some days you see tiny red lines. Other days, you see a big dark shadow moving around.

Here are two simple examples:

You can candle an egg on Day 7 and see veins, which means the egg is fertile.
You can candle an egg on Day 14 and see no movement, which shows the egg stopped growing.

Day 1–7: Early Signs of Life

This is the first and most important stage. You can see early changes inside the egg.

What you should see:

Thin red veins spreading from the center
A small dark spot, which is the tiny embryo
A clear air cell at the top

Fertile vs. infertile eggs:

A fertile egg shows veins and a dark dot.
An infertile egg looks clear with no veins.

True signs vs. mistakes:

A real embryo has clear veins.
Dust on the shell or small marks can trick beginners.

This is the best time to learn how to tell if an egg is fertile through candling.

Day 8–14: Strong Embryo Growth

Now the embryo grows fast, and the egg looks darker.

What you should see:

A bigger moving shape inside the egg
Blood vessels covering more of the shell
A growing dark area that takes up more space

Healthy egg signs:

Clear movement
Strong red vessels
The egg gets darker each day

Dead egg signs:

No movement
Blood vessels faded or were broken
Dark ring inside the egg

If you see no veins and no movement on these days, the egg may not be alive.

Day 15–18: Pre-Hatch Development

This is the last stage before the chick gets ready to hatch.

What you should see:

A large dark shadow that fills most of the egg
Light movement in the dark area
A bigger air cell at the top

Why candling stops at Day 18: After Day 18, the egg should not be moved. The chick gets into the hatching position. This is called “lockdown,” and opening the incubator can harm the chick.

Candling Chicken Eggs Day 1–21

Chicken eggs hatch around Day 21. From Days 1–18, you should see veins, growth, movement, and a growing air cell. Days 19–21 are for hatching, so no candling.

Dead Egg Candling Signs

Blood ring: A red circle inside the egg.
No veins: Clear egg with no growth.
Bad smell: A rotten egg smell means it should be removed right away.

Species Comparison: How Egg Candling Differs

Eggs from different birds do not all look the same inside. Candling helps you see how each type grows.

Here are two examples:

Chicken eggs are small and light brown, and their embryos grow fast.
Duck eggs are larger and darker, and their embryos take longer to develop.

Candling Differences by Species

1. Chicken Eggs:

Shell color: White or light brown
Development speed: 21 days to hatch
Moisture: Normal moisture inside

2. Duck Eggs:

Shell color: Darker, often greenish or gray
Development speed: 28 days to hatch
Moisture: Higher moisture, needs careful handling

3. Quail Eggs:

Shell color: Spotted and small
Development speed: 17–18 days to hatch
Moisture: Less moisture than duck eggs

4. Turkey Eggs:

Shell color: Light brown with speckles
Development speed: 28 days
Moisture: Moderate, similar to chicken eggs

Summary:

This chart helps you see at a glance how different eggs need different candling times and care. It makes egg candling easier and safer for beginners.

Egg Candling Chart

An egg candling chart is a simple guide that shows what an egg looks like at each stage of development. It helps you know if an egg is healthy or if there is a problem.

This Chart will help you

Bird Type	Shell Color	Development Speed	Moisture Level	Notes on Candling
Chicken	White or light brown	21 days	Normal	Candle on Days 7, 10, 14
Duck	Dark greenish/gray	28 days	High	Candle on Days 7, 14, 21
Quail	Spotted, small	17–18 days	Low	Candle on Days 7, 14
Turkey	Light brown speckled	28 days	Moderate	Candle on Days 7, 14, 21

Why charts help beginners

They show what healthy eggs look like at each stage.
They make it easy to compare your egg with a correct example.
They help spot dead eggs or eggs that have stopped growing.

Summary: Using an egg candling chart makes candling easier and safer. It helps beginners understand normal growth and notice problems early.

Problems you may see when candling eggs and what they tell you.

When you candle eggs, not every egg is healthy. Some eggs may stop growing or have other problems. Knowing the signs helps you take care of the good eggs.

If you see a blood ring inside the egg, it means the embryo died early.
If there is no movement or veins, the egg may be infertile or dead.

Common Problems

No veins: The egg is likely infertile, or the embryo stopped growing.
Blood ring: A red circle inside shows the chick died early.
Saddle-shaped air cell: May mean the egg is too dry or the incubator is not right.
Late quitters: Eggs that die late may look dark but have no movement.
Bad smell: Rotten eggs must be removed immediately.

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Egg Candling: A Simple Day-by-Day Guide for Beginners