Planning to hatch eggs? Candling lets you peek inside to monitor development without cracking them open. What IS Candling? Shining a bright light through an egg to see internal development. The egg becomes translucent, revealing what's happening inside! When to Candle: 🥚Day 7-10: Check for development and blood vessels 🥚Day 14-18: Assess growth and air cell size 🥚Day 18+: STOP handling eggs (lockdown period) What You're Looking For: FERTILE & DEVELOPING: 🐥Spider-like blood vessels (Day 7) 🐥Dark mass (embryo) growing larger 🐥Movement in later stages 🐥 Expanding air cell at blunt end INFERTILE (Clear): 🥚Egg looks clear throughout 🥚Only yolk shadow visible 🥚No blood vessels or development EARLY DEATH (Blood Ring): ☠️Red ring visible inside egg ☠️Development stopped ☠️Remove from incubator Equipment: A simple LED flashlight works! Or purchase a dedicated egg candler. Dark room = better visibility. Critical Tips: 🧼Handle eggs gently, wash hands first 😓Don't candle too frequently (stresses developing embryo) 🌡️Room temperature eggs candle more clearly ✔️Mark questionable eggs, recheck in 3-4 days Fun Fact: You can see the chick moving inside around Day 14-16! The air cell also grows as the chick develops and needs more oxygen. Your turn: ❓Ever candled an egg and been totally amazed (or totally confused) by what you saw? 🤔 @Casey Balkcom I'd love if you showed your awesome candling video!

This is a tough topic but an important one! Let's talk about when normal pecking becomes a serious welfare problem. What's the Difference? 🪶Normal pecking order = Brief encounters establishing hierarchy 🪶Feather pecking = Repeated pulling/eating of feathers 🪶Cannibalism = Pecking that causes injury, draws blood, leads to death Why It Happens: 🌾ENVIRONMENTAL 🐓Overcrowding (top trigger!) 🐓Boredom/lack of enrichment 🐓Too much light or no darkness period 🐓Bright lighting intensity 🍎NUTRITIONAL 🐥Protein deficiency 🐥Salt deficiency 🐥Insufficient methionine/cysteine (amino acids) 🤷‍♀️MANAGEMENT 🐤Mixing different ages/sizes 🐤Insufficient feeder/waterer space 🐤Poor ventilation (ammonia buildup) 🐤Stress from any source 🩸The Blood Problem: Once blood is drawn, it triggers MORE pecking! Red is highly attractive to chickens - the behavior can escalate rapidly to death. Evidence-Based Prevention: ✔️Provide 3-4 sq ft per bird minimum (more is better!) ✔️ Enrichment: cabbage to peck, perches, dust baths ✔️ Ensure at least 16-20% protein in diet ✔️ Reduce light intensity if very bright ✔️ Provide darkness period (8+ hours) ✔️ Address issues IMMEDIATELY before they spread ‼️Critical: Remove injured birds immediately - blood attracts more pecking! Your turn: ❓What's your best boredom-buster trick that keeps your flock entertained? 🎾 ❓Have you ever had to discipline an overly aggressive flock mate?