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Candling eggs, the process of holding an egg up to a light to examine its contents, is a useful tool for monitoring the development of fertilized eggs in an incubator. However, candling eggs too often can be detrimental to the development and hatching process. Here are some reasons why you shouldn't candle your fertile chicken eggs too often:
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Risk of infection: Candling eggs requires handling them, which increases the risk of introducing bacteria or other pathogens into the egg. This can lead to infection and poor hatch rates.
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Stress on the embryo: Candling eggs can also cause stress on the developing embryo, which can affect the hatch rate and the health of the chicks.
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Loss of moisture: Candling eggs can also cause the loss of moisture, which is essential for the development of the embryo. Excessive candling can dry out the egg and lead to poor hatch rates.
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Interference with the natural process: Candling eggs too often can interfere with the natural process of incubation and the development of the embryo. This can lead to poor hatch rates and the development of weaker chicks.
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False readings: Candling eggs too often can lead to false readings of the development stage of the embryo. This can lead to inaccurate decisions about the timing of hatch and can affect the overall health and development of the chicks.
It is recommended that you candle eggs only once or twice during the incubation process, around the 7th and 14th days, to monitor the development of the embryo and to identify any problems. This will minimize the risk of infection, stress on the embryo, loss of moisture, interference with the natural process, and false readings.
In conclusion, candling eggs is a useful tool for monitoring the development of fertilized eggs in an incubator, but candling eggs too often can be detrimental to the development and hatching process. Factors such as risk of infection, stress on the embryo, loss of moisture, interference with the natural process and false readings can affect the overall health and development of the chicks. It's recommended to candle eggs only once or twice during the incubation process, around the 7th and 14th days, to minimize these risks and ensure a successful hatch.