# How to candle?



## slitherer (Jun 6, 2010)

Hi all, my bearded Dragon eggs will be 3 weeks old next week and I have read this is a good time to candle them. Any tips on the best way to do this?


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## xNatashax (Nov 20, 2009)

carefully is one hell of a good tip =P


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## boywonder (Mar 10, 2008)

mark the top of each egg with a felt pen, and be careful with the eggs as you pick each one up, i use a mini maglight with led bulb upgrade to shine through the far side of the egg back at myself, i do this in a darkened room, so i can see the illuminated egg more clearly, try not to handle the eggs much, and don't do it at all in the week leading up to their expected hatch date as babies ready to hatch may be "spooked" by the light and fail to hatch


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## kettykev (May 15, 2009)

Get a piece of card, cut a hole in the middle of it just smaller than the egg, place egg in hole and hold over a lamp.


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## tricky (Sep 29, 2007)

blimey, didnt know it was so difficult

i only do royal python eggs but i turn off the light and stick a small torch against the egg , thats it

no picking up 

i do it as soon as i put them in a rub to see if they are fertile to start with , then i look regularly just to be nosey
just had a look at my current eggs with 3 days to go and is great so see em moving around :mf_dribble:

maybe a completely different kettle of fish but thought id say so anyway


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## slitherer (Jun 6, 2010)

Yeah I knew it wasnt difficult but just wanted tips on best ways to do it not to disturb the eggs!

Thanks


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## Avpl (Nov 13, 2007)

boywonder said:


> mark the top of each egg with a felt pen, and be careful with the eggs as you pick each one up, i use a mini maglight with led bulb upgrade to shine through the far side of the egg back at myself, i do this in a darkened room, so i can see the illuminated egg more clearly, try not to handle the eggs much, and don't do it at all in the week leading up to their expected hatch date as babies ready to hatch may be "spooked" by the light and fail to hatch


 
No mi gusta! You should only use a pencil. The eggs absorb moisture through the shell, and can absorb the ink too, which could possible affect the hatchlings... (I don't mean their colours will be truley awesome!:2thumb

I have a very powerfull torch. I put 3 pieces of paper ontop of the end, and then turned the light on. A little light came through, so I held the egg in the line of light. I could see veins! :2thumb:


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## boywonder (Mar 10, 2008)

Anthony Laing said:


> No mi gusta! You should only use a pencil. The eggs absorb moisture through the shell, and can absorb the ink too, which could possible affect the hatchlings... (I don't mean their colours will be truley awesome!:2thumb
> 
> I have a very powerfull torch. I put 3 pieces of paper ontop of the end, and then turned the light on. A little light came through, so I held the egg in the line of light. I could see veins! :2thumb:


 
you should not use a pencil as it could pierce the shell, every pro breeder i've seen show pics of their eggs marks the top with a sharpie marker, i've done it for many seasons, i do a pink or blue dash for sex with a highlighter and the morph code and clutch code in black sharpie pen, look to the American forums, they are years ahead of most uk hobbyists


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## Avpl (Nov 13, 2007)

boywonder said:


> you should not use a pencil as it could pierce the shell, every pro breeder i've seen show pics of their eggs marks the top with a sharpie marker, i've done it for many seasons, i do a pink or blue dash for sex with a highlighter and the morph code and clutch code in black sharpie pen, look to the American forums, they are years ahead of most uk hobbyists


Well, use a pencil lightly :Na_Na_Na_Na:

If you have found no reasons why not to, then carry on, but the risk remains.
I am just stating that ink pens CAN poison the embryo. :gasp:

How could you sex them, as eggs?


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## tricky (Sep 29, 2007)

just candled a couple of mine with about 3 days till hatch


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## Avpl (Nov 13, 2007)

tricky said:


> just candled a couple of mine with about 3 days till hatch
> 
> image
> 
> image


WOW! Amazing quality! :2thumb:


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## tricky (Sep 29, 2007)

Anthony Laing said:


> WOW! Amazing quality! :2thumb:


thanks , they came out better than they really look lol

although would have been better if the snakes had been moving about to show some shape

still wrong sort of egg for o.p. but hopefully helps a bit (showing torch size etc)


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## boywonder (Mar 10, 2008)

Anthony Laing said:


> How could you sex them, as eggs?


my species, leopard geckos, are temperature sexed, incubate cool (26c) for female and warm (32c) for male


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## las (Oct 20, 2009)

Great photos.

I think its easy to candle too. Strong small light put against the egg in a dark room. just make sure you don't hold it on there for too long because they can get quite hot. As for marking the eggs-easy, use a soft pencil and be gentle.:whistling2:

Dose anyone know of a site that has candling photos or video at difference stages all the way through incubation? I can find them for chicken and duck eggs but there is very little when it comes to snakes. I have corns but I would think any snakes would be a good comparison.

If there is nothing, I think tricky should think about making a set for the rest of us.:2thumb: What do you all think?


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## slitherer (Jun 6, 2010)

Thanks for all the advise, i candeled them without picking them up to be safe and all 10 have nice healthy veins in them!


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## tricky (Sep 29, 2007)

slitherer said:


> Thanks for all the advise, i candeled them without picking them up to be safe and all 10 have nice healthy veins in them!


well done. : victory:

and glad they are good :2thumb:


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## mcdougle (Jan 20, 2009)

what type of torch do u use i had a beardy clutch and all the eggs died would have been able to tell earlier if i could have done the same as in that pic


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## mcdougle (Jan 20, 2009)

you should try youtube YouTube - candling reptile eggs here are some


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## slitherer (Jun 6, 2010)

HEY i just used a small thin mag lite torch.


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## las (Oct 20, 2009)

My torch is just a l.e.d. key ring torch my son had for 99p. It has been the best I have found. The smaller the better I would say and then just put it on top of the egg. That way you don't have to move them. 

Thanks for the link. I have not seen some of them. There are lots on chicken eggs too and I would love to find a set of photos or videos taken at -say weekly -intervals so we can see the development of the embryo inside. I like to make sure mine are doing well:2thumb:


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