When hatching ducklings in an incubator, it becomes necessary to check whether the embryos in the egg are developing correctly. Control allows you to identify how development is going, whether there are problems, and makes it possible to reject unsuitable specimens. Let's look at the features of ovoscoping duck eggs day by day, how and with what equipment this can be done at home.
Subtleties of the procedure
Ovoscopy is the examination of poultry eggs under an ovoscope - a special device with a lamp.In a candled egg, you can see whether it is suitable for placing in an incubator, and then determine how the embryo develops. If there are no developmental abnormalities, you can continue incubating it; if there are any, throw it away.
You can check duck eggs for embryos at home using an ovoscope, which is easy to purchase. But you can also make it yourself - from a cardboard box and a lamp with a power of at least 100 W. Make a hole at the top of the box, slightly smaller than the size of a standard egg, on which the eggs will then be placed. You need to put a reflector on the bottom to enhance the light power. You can candling the eggs of ducks and musk ducks, or indo-ducks, as they are called.
Ovoscopy of duck eggs by day
The first time the procedure must be carried out before placing it in the incubator. Then it is done once during the 4 periods during which the embryo develops, and a few days before the ducklings hatch.
Before bookmarking
Transillumination allows you to identify high-quality and unsuitable material for incubation. You can determine whether an egg is fertilized or not, and its other characteristics.
A good egg should be large, weigh at least 75-95 g, have a regular oval shape, with a strong, smooth shell, without cracks or sagging. When transilluminated, you can find out the mobility of the yolk, its placement inside the shell, and the clarity of its edges. You can see where the air chamber is located and its size, whether there are spots, stripes and foreign inclusions in the protein contents, such as sand or parasites.
On the 7th day
When a week has passed from the start of incubation, the first candling is carried out. The procedure should take as little time as possible, since the eggs should not be cooled. Sequence of work: place the egg on the ovoscope with the blunt end and, scrolling around the axis, inspect the contents through the shell. The bulk should have a pleasant pinkish color; in the center there will be a noticeable darkish spot in the shape of a comma. The spot will move easily if the egg is moved. You can see an air chamber and a network of blood vessels inside.
If the shell is light, the embryo is not found in the middle or it is dark and placed close to the shell, this indicates the death of the embryo. If there are no signs of development of the circulatory system, this means that the egg most likely was not fertilized and the development of the embryo did not occur.
On the 16th day
The second transillumination can be combined with cooling; its duration can be 20 minutes. You can take your time and take a good look at all the contents. At this time, the duck embryo is already developed so much that even its outline can be seen. The blood network and the light air chamber are clearly visible. At the 2nd stage, it is already easy to identify dead embryos and discard them.
Frozen development can be recognized by the immobility of the dark spot and minimally developed vessels. If the shell can be seen through without problems, the air chamber is excessively large, this is also a sign that there is no duckling in it. After examining the egg, you need to sprinkle it with water and return it to the incubator, placing it on the other side.
On the 19th day
The next ovoscoping occurs during the period when the duck embryo is almost formed.Many poultry farmers recommend candling the material on the 19th day, although the procedure can be carried out on the 25th.
This time, eggs that did not pass the selection according to the characteristics noted in the previous version are also discarded. However, there are also differences. If the embryo is visible but does not move, this may mean that it has died. This instance needs to be checked again.
After candling, which also lasts 20 minutes, the eggs need to be sprinkled with water and put back into the incubator.
Last few days
The last time ovoscopy is done 2-3 days before removal. When transilluminated, the dark contents, which occupy almost the entire space, and a bright, clearly demarcated chamber with air should be visible. Suspicious signs: no movement, that is, the embryo does not move at all. The air chamber takes up more space than necessary, an empty area may glow at the sharp end, and the blood vessels are poorly developed.
Signs of deviation from the norm
At various stages, developmental disorders may look like this:
- displacement of the air chamber to the side or sharp end;
- egg contents are orange or red-orange;
- the yolk moves freely inside the shell due to torn hailstones or stuck to one wall;
- bloody rings;
- an embryo that adheres to the wall of the shell;
- underdeveloped blood vessels or their absence.
If such violations are detected, there is a high probability of embryo death. This is caused by violations of the incubation rules: incorrect humidity and temperature, as well as the fact that the material is not turned over on time.
Ovoscoping duck eggs allows you to determine at home, when using an incubator, whether there are any disturbances in the development of duck embryos or whether everything is going normally. And also choose the most suitable material for bookmarks.An ovoscope is a simple device that you can buy or make yourself.
