Candling is an process of using a high-intensity light to look through the shell of a pigeon egg to observe the development of the embryo inside the egg. Many pigeon breeder prefer to use the candling technique because it is uncertain whether a pigeon egg will hatch, and candling allows the breeder to determine whether the egg is fertile. If the embryo inside the egg has die, the dead embryo will become infected with bacteria that can affect other healthy eggs inside the nest.
Therefore, using the candling process to detect dead embryos in the eggs will allow breeders to remove those dead eggs from the nest. Pigeon eggs has thin, white shells that allow the light to pass easily through the shells. Unlike chicken eggs, whose shells are thick and brown, breeder can see the embryo inside a pigeon egg earlier then they could view the embryo inside a chickens egg.
How to Candle Pigeon Eggs
In candling pigeon eggs, the breeder must be careful not to damage the eggs. Pigeon eggs are very fragile, so candling should only take place for short periods and the breeder should have a light grip on the eggs. To candle a pigeon egg, a breeder will use an LED light in a dark room.
When candling eggs that are early in the development process, breeders will look for a pink shape in the middle of the egg that demonstrate that the egg is fertile. After a week, if the egg continues to remain clear and glowing with light, then the breeder identifies it as a non-fertile egg. A breeder must also be able to differentiate between a healthy embryo and a blood ring.
A blood ring demonstrates that the embryo have started to develop inside the egg but has ceased development. In such cases, the breeder can remove the affected egg from the nest. When the embryo continues to develop inside the egg, the interior of the egg will change color to a dense web of blood vessels.
These blood vessels will eventually develop into a C-shape, which will then transform into a dark mass of the fully developed embryo. Humidity is essential during this stage. If the humidity is too dry for the eggs, the membrane inside the egg may become tough, which will prevent the hatchling from exiting the egg.
Using a digital scale to measure the weight of the eggs is another way to monitor the embryos development. The egg will lose a small amount of moisture that allow the embryo to take its first breath at the moment of hatch. Too much or too little weight loss will affect the embryo’s health.
If the embryo loses too much weight, it will dehydrate. If the embryo loses too little weight, it will drown in the fluid inside the egg. For the final stage of incubation, the breeder must stop turning the pigeon eggs.
During this lockdown period, the embryo will position itself to hatch from its shell. During this period, a breeder should look for an internal pip, which is the beak of the embryo that ruptures the membrane of the egg. The internal pip will look like a wavy line in the air cell of the egg.
Following the internal pip will be the external pip, which is a star-shaped crack that appears on the outer shell of the egg. When the external pip is present, the egg has begun to hatch. At this point, the breeder must not attempt to aid the embryo in the hatching process because most embryos will be able to hatch on their own.
There are two main methods of incubating pigeon eggs: parent incubation and artificial incubation. Parent incubation is considered more reliable because pigeons can naturaly regulate the temperature of the eggs. Artificial incubation uses a machine to maintain the proper temperature of the eggs, but the breeder requires more labor if using this method.
In addition, if using artificial incubation, the breeder may have to feed the newborn pigeon every few hours. The development of a pigeon from embryo to juvenile takes place quite quickly. In about a month, a pigeon will reach nearly it’s adult size.
By using the candling process to monitor the development of the embryo inside the egg, the breeder can monitor the development of the embryos hatch. By candling the eggs, the breeder can shift from being a passive observer of the eggs to being an active participant in the hatching process.