Candeling at day 17... what should you see?

[Hennypen]

I candled the remaining eggs before lockdown started and couldn't see much at all. The egg is completely dark except the airsack. I can see a few veins near the airsack where light can get to it but thats it. I didn't see any movement (didn't want them to be out of the incubator too long) but it's so dark in there I don't know if I'd be able to see anything if they were moving.

Is that normal? (light tan eggs)

 

[Buugette]

Ooooo... good question... I'm at day 16 and can't see squat except the air sac. First time hatcher and stressing!

 

[Katy]

At that point in time you aren't going to see much other than the air cell and the fact that the rest is dark is a good sign....it means that you've got a chick almost ready to hatch.

 

[suzettex5]

The veining you see is a good thing, I think.

At this stage the baby and remaining yolk take up almost every square millimeter of space left in that egg, so darkness is justthe big 'ol chick curled up in there ( think a human baby at 9 months along in utero) . When you see them hatch, you will wonder HOW that big chick fit in that tiny egg! I dont think they can move much, so no movement is not unusual. As the hatch day approaches, you may notice the egg start to wiggle and rock on the floor of the bator, a great sign of life! Some never see the rocking, but we have seen it every time, with every egg. And on day 20 or 21,or even 22, you can often hear peeping from the egg, that is the chick having reached the oxygen in the air cell. It breaks into the air cell first, then runs out of air, so it spasms a bit, causing it to break the shell (finally!) and start to hatch.

hope this helped! I'm on my 3rd hatch now and still a nervous wreck!!

Best of luck!