Well, I wasn't going to candle my eggs (15 True Ameraucana) wanting to keep handling to a minimum, but reading the recent posts, and looking a a few photos I decided as long as I did so carefully...
Mine were set starting the morning of Saturday, May 7 - and perhaps I would notice some development
I did not candle every single egg, but I found good, and clearly pronounced visible veining on at least 4 eggs,
what I would describe as fairly well-defined dark masses in another 3 or 4 (one with what looks like the beginnings of veining coming from closest to the darkest portion of the mass), and what (I will guess) some of you describe as a "blood ring" on another few.
On at least 2 of the eggs, the blue-green shells are too dark/thick to get anything discernable, so they remain mystery eggs 'til perhaps the end, when they either hatch - or not. I will also note that there is, to date, no "rotten egg smell" emanating from a single egg - and since that seems to be considered a quickly and readily apparent negative indicator, I take encouragement from it.
One egg did have a dimple crack in it (on the side - away from the fat air cell end), which I promptly covered with melted candle wax days ago, and even that one has a visible mass inside, and exudes no unseemly odor.
Some few who read my earlier posts may recall I am building my own incubator cabinet. It is not quite done yet, so I am using a brooder lamp with a 125w heat bulb kept at a distance from the eggs, which are contained within a styrofoam medical supply cooler box measuring 15.5"L x 12"W x 9"H (walls are 1" thick) with a Taylor thermometer probe to check vitals, and a spray mist bottle full of warm H2O nearby to keep the peeps froom going dry.
This is temporary until I finish my build...delayed by an outside build area and an unseasonable amount of rainfall, but I should be able to finish my cabinet doors tomorrow and then test the box for temp and humidity.
