Candling Help

[zuzusplace]

I have my first broody hen. She started sitting almost three weeks ago. We tried to candle the eggs around what we thought was day 7 and didn't see anything (I don't think it was dark enough when I did it. Then we tried again today when the hen got up to eat. She's sitting on eggs that are white, tan, brown, green, and blue. The white eggs I assume are no good because we saw nothing. The one tan egg had a "yolk-ish" looking area that moved to the top of the egg whenever I turned it. The brown, blue, and other tan we couldn't tell what was going on, and the green might as well have been black because absolutely no light showed through.

Is candling really this hard? What are the chances of a hen sitting on 12 or so eggs when their is a very active rooster around and NOTHING happening with any of them? I'm not sure exactly what day it is, because at first we didn't realize what she was doing. Trying to remember back, this seems to be about day 19.

 

[debilorrah]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=261876

This link is very helpful is knowing what you are actually looking at.

 

[zuzusplace]

I have one in a cardboard box with a lightbulb that looks most distinctly like a 7 day (or so) old chick but we're on day 9 with it. The temperature is a little low though, so I think they develop more slowly. It's not moving anywhere near as much as the one in the video though LOL If I'm really still I can see that it looks like it moves maybe a millimeter or something (more like floating).

I tried the ones from the hen again though and still see nothing. There are several that look dark inside, but I don't see a distinct air sac, and some (mostly easter egger eggs) I can't see through at all. I do think there are a few that are empty though. I definitely don't see any movement in any of them or hear anything. Maybe all 14 (I counted them while I was at it) are flops