Checking Development Of Dark Shelled Eggs?

[americanchicks]

Hey everyone!
Its day 9 for my F-2 olive egger eggs. Im doing a semi dry incubation. I let the water dry out and run it a bit on empty before adding more water. Then keep the vent all the way open.
Just checked the eggs, tossed 3 that had no air cell. No air cell no development has been my experience. That leaves me with a dozen that have air cells right on track for where they should be. Tried seeing any development and I was only able to see one. The rest of the eggs I just cant see anything. Even with our fancy bright flashlight in a pitch black room. The shells are just too dark. Funny, the maran eggs where easier to candle. Any tips on how to make sure all is well? Or is it just wait and see.
Thanks

 

[hysop]

I’ve read of people weighing their eggs. But that would require you to have weighed them since Day One.

 

[nchls school]

Hey everyone!
Its day 9 for my F-2 olive egger eggs. Im doing a semi dry incubation. I let the water dry out and run it a bit on empty before adding more water. Then keep the vent all the way open.
Just checked the eggs, tossed 3 that had no air cell. No air cell no development has been my experience. That leaves me with a dozen that have air cells right on track for where they should be. Tried seeing any development and I was only able to see one. The rest of the eggs I just cant see anything. Even with our fancy bright flashlight in a pitch black room. The shells are just too dark. Funny, the maran eggs where easier to candle. Any tips on how to make sure all is well? Or is it just wait and see.
Thanks

I rather think it's just wait and see when there's so much pigment in the shell that light doesn't penetrate.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Some eggs are like candling rocks and there isn't much you can do about it. Really fresh eggs have tiny air cells and it is more difficult to candle the eggs while the air cell is small. As the air cell grows it seems to light up the entire egg better in my experience.

The best tool for candling that I have found is a high lumen flashlight. We were actually just talking about this in a hatch-a-along today so I'll share...

I purchased a couple new flashlights because my friend wanted a candler that works as well as my original Sofirn flashlight that is no longer available. I ordered 2 different 1200 lumen flashlights and one is brighter than my original Sofirn 1300 lumen flashlight and the other is dim in comparison to both. So not all high lumen flashlights are created equal! Though all would work effectively for candling, I'm sure you can see which one is my new favorite.

It's hard to see in the images because photographing will capture the light differently all together but the examples are through a medium dark brown Marans egg and a blue egg. The last image is through a dark Marans egg with the Sofirn flashlight from last year.