Identifying fertile eggs

[merrin091]

Hey there . . .I just made my 2010 breeding journal last night and Fifi started incubating yesterday, and I have heard of candling eggs 4 days after incubation. Well, what does a fertile egg looks like form the outside, I'm too afraid of candling my lovebird's first batch of eggs so I just wanted to check it out without touching it. I've seen a site about mousebirds and the difference between infertile mousebird eggs, to fertile mousebird eggs, and from DIS mousebird eggs. But they are mousebird eggs! I need a lovebird egg. . .Anyone know any site that cites an answer to my question, or at least any experienced lovebird owner out there who could show me or tell me the diff. between fertile lovebird eggs and infertile lovebird eggs without candling. Thanks.

 

[vmorrison]

Without candling, the shells of infertile lovebird eggs appear to have a yellowish coloring to them. The shells of fertile eggs take on a bluish cast. If the baby dies before it can hatch, the shell turns a greyish color. What shell coloring won't tell you is how the baby inside is developing. Candling can tell you which egg will hatch first as you get into the later stages of incubation. I've also been able to use it to help determine if I have a baby in trouble and if that baby needs assistance.

 

[Monica]

You can try getting a flashlight like this...
http://www.thewishzone.com/72HourKit/FlashLIght.jpg

Or maybe something like this (not sure how well one of these would work)
http://www.hero-led.com/products/images/LED-FLASHLIGHT/flexible.jpg


If the mousebird photos showed images using lights and veins then you'd be looking for the same thing in lovebird eggs... eggs, for the most part, develop the same way.

Here's an image of a ball pythons egg being candled... you can see the veins as the egg starts to develop.
http://www.ballpython.ca/images/breeding/breeding_pictorial/candle_b.jpg

Fertile finch egg
Photo Gallery - Lady Gouldian Finch Info - Candling Eggs/Fertile Egg


An infertile egg (please note, fertile eggs, before they begin to develop, will look like this)
Photo Gallery - Lady Gouldian Finch Info - Candling Eggs/Clear (Infertile) Egg (Candled After 10 Days of Incubation)

A greenwing macaws fertile egg
http://www.happyhookbill.com/fizgrow/loriegg1.jpg

When candling, fertile eggs go from the yellow yolk, to orange, to red. Infertile eggs remain yellow.

I wouldn't recommend trying to candle the eggs until about 6 days after incubation has begun, and/or 6 days after the last egg was laid. Even if an eggs appears infertile, leave it inside the nest as these can later be used like "heat rocks" for the growing chicks, once they hatch.