ANATOMY

Detailed explanation-1: -Egg candling facilitates the confirmation of egg viability throughout the incubation process and identification of a precise position on a vein for the safe extraction of blood. Blood samples may then be analysed to retrieve vital health and genetic information to assist in conservation management.

Detailed explanation-2: -Candling allows you to monitor many things including the egg fertility, embryo development and weight loss rate. By being able to identify and remove non-viable eggs (infertile or early death) you can also avoid the risk of a rotten egg exploding and contaminating your hatch with dangerous germs.

Detailed explanation-3: -When candling eggs, inspectors look at the blunt end to measure the air space. In a very fresh egg, it will be very small, roughly the size of a dime, and as the egg ages the space grows larger. It should also be fixed and not free-floating or ruptured.

Detailed explanation-4: -Candling is the step during grading when the egg grader looks inside the egg (without breaking it) to judge quality. Long ago, this quality check was done by holding a candle behind an egg.

Detailed explanation-5: -To know if the egg is a winner look for a network of blood vessels that appear white. A dark outline at the center of the blood vessels is the embryo. You may even see the dark eyes of the embryo or the embryo moving slightly. These are both telltale signs that the egg is a winner.