Need help candling dark eggs.

[themenagerie]

First time hatching in an incubator. I have a Hovabator 1632 and everything seems to be going great, have had no temperature issues, humidity is good. I set 40 eggs, mostly Marans, Welsummer or Olive Eggers, though there are a couple light brown eggs. Today was the 6th day and I thought I'd candle.. . I bought a small flashlight with 230 lumens, and I can't see a darn thing in anything but the light brown eggs. One of those 2 definitely has a developing embryo. I have 3 roosters to probably 40 hens, so I know that my fertility might be low..but I can't believe that almost all of them could be infertile. Anyone have any helpful hints on how to candle dark eggs? Thanks in advance!

 

[WalnutHill]

at 6 days in a dark egg the veins may be visible, but only barely. 10 days gives a better view in dark or thick shelled eggs.

Likewise by day 18 it's difficult to see a thing.

 

[WalnutHill]

And make sure you are candling in a completely dark room...

 

[themenagerie]

Thank you Walnut Hill... I've taken them into a closet to candle them and still can't see anything. I think I'm going to try again at day 14. I just hope if I do have any bad eggs that they don't explode in the incubator.

 

[WalnutHill]

I have some VERY dark olive eggs, Ameraucana over BCM, and those are the only ones I can't see through when candling with a mini flashlight or my cell phone flash. Are you candling from the big end?

 

[themenagerie]

I'm trying all ways! lol I can see the air cell, but can't see any veining, on some I believe I see an embryo, but no dark spot for the eye. Is that the best I'll be able to see?

I also have some dark olive Ameracauna/BCM eggs..so I'll just accept I'll have to wait to be surprised/disappointed on those.

 

[Tuhmu]

Same boat here, I have some BCM, olive, and green/blue eggs in the incubator...surprisingly the olive and blue/green ones are the hardest. The BCM are dark but not as impenetrable? as the EE's. I've just accepted it as a gamble at this point lol. I tried using a flashlight, the phone, and my actual egg candling light all at the same time and still can't get through.

 

[themenagerie]

I also had the hardest time with the olive ones and green, as opposed to the BCM, Wellies and blues. If I could see any separation of dark and light, I left them in. Lock down is Monday. We'll see what happens.