Can't see anything on day 3, help!!!

[Amykins]

I know I'm supposed to wait a whole week before first candling, but with more eggs than my bator can carry I don't want to risk losing the last egg I've got. I'm on day 3, and on every other batch I've incubated I could see veins by now. On all three eggs in my Rcom mini, there's bupkis. Noffin'. Nada. I can see the yolk, but no veins, no eye spot, no blood ring.

How long should I wait until I give up? The breeder I got them from usually has excellent fertility rates, as high as 90%. What on earth can I possibly do?

 

[studentjh55]

I didn't see veins until day 6. Have your temps been lower? I would wait at least a week before giving up!

 

[Amykins]

No, the temp's been at a consistent 99.5 degrees since putting them in there. I'm just overly paranoid since I've never had good luck with call duck eggs. :/

I guess my only choice is to wait...but I'm still nervous. Of the 6 eggs that arrived 3 have wonky air cells, one was scrambled, one is too small and only one was perfectly intact. To learn that they're not viable would be too upsetting for words!

 

[studentjh55]

Is it a still air incubator?

 

[Amykins]

I'm not sure, to be honest...it's an Rcom mini, it's a pretty complicated little machine but it's so small I'm not sure if it really needs it. I used a styrofoam still air bator last year, the 'lings made it to hatch but quit just before first pip so this time around I didn't want to leave anything to chance.

 

[studentjh55]

Then if there's no fan you can up the temp to 101 degrees.

 

[Amykins]

I sheepishly admit that I don't think I can. This bator is 100% automated and self-regulating. You just enter the species and it does the rest. Seems kinda counterintuitive I guess, now that I think about it...but since it's stayed at the temp it has I'm assuming it's forced-air. I can hear something switching on and off in there, pretty sure there's a fan. The manual doesn't mention anything about it.

 

[studentjh55]

Ok, then I would just wait until day 7 to worry. I remember I was so nervous, but then I saw those veins. Don't worry!

 

[Amykins]

I guess that's all I can do. Thanks for sharing your experience, I'm just a stressed out hopeful egg mom!

 

[studentjh55]

I completely understand haha