Day 5 - no veins, no air sacs?

[LoreWalker]

It's my first time attempting to incubate eggs.
We have 22 eggs in our incubator; 5 large light beige eggs (from a friend), 11 white/light beige bantam eggs, 6 large light brown eggs with freckles on some. I'm not sure how big a chance the 17 from my own hens have at being alive, I thought a hen was sitting on them but she quit and the eggs were outside and cool to the touch when I gathered most of them to let them warm to room temp, then put in the incubator. The 5 eggs from my friend have been kept at room temp, pointy end down, until they were put in the incubator.

The eggs were put in the incubator on April 3rd, in the afternoon. The temperature in the incubator has been very steady, but the humidity has been kinda all-over (35-60%) the first few days. The past 2 days it has been at 48-55% but I read that may be too humid still, so I'm working on lowering the humidity further.

couldn't discover any veins inside any of the eggs, and could only find a (small) air sac in the 5 large beige eggs. I know day 5 could be too early to tell if the eggs are fertilised or not.
But with such a hard time even finding the air sacs in the majority of the eggs, I wonder if maybe I did stuff wrong from the start and should just chuck the eggs out to start over? Or maybe my lamp isn't bright enough?

I'll post pictures in a sec!

This specific egg below (2pics) looks like it's maybe a bit porous on one end? I couldn't locate an air sac, and had a hard time finding a clear "shadow" inside the egg.

Egg 1 (bantam)

 

[LoreWalker]

2 pictures of the same egg. One of the 5 I got from a friend. The shade inside I assume is the yolk? It moves a little when I move the egg, but does seem "stick" to one side of the egg a little more. I drew the line I could see from the egg sac on it with a pencil.

Egg 2 (North Holland Blue)

Egg 2 again, clearer pencil line and faint air sac line

Egg 3 (Barnevelder cross)

Egg 4 (large silkie cross)

And this is the eggs inside of the incubator, they're all a little darker in real life than they appear on the picture.

 

[JustAChickenLoverOverHere]

Porous eggs are harder to see into. I'd candle again on day 10, and if no progress, throw it out.

 

[LoreWalker]

Porous eggs are harder to see into. I'd candle again on day 10, and if no progress, throw it out.

Thanks, will do! Is there any use in candling them again on day 7, since none showed clear veins yet? Or is it best I just leave them be until day 10?

 

[FeatherTay]

Thanks, will do! Is there any use in candling them again on day 7, since none showed clear veins yet? Or is it best I just leave them be until day 10?

I think you should leave it till day 10. 2 days wont do too much, and you want to not open the incubator as much as possible.

 

[Tonyroo]

I see veins on the 2nd egg looks like it's on day 4.

 

[JustAChickenLoverOverHere]

I see veins on the 2nd egg looks like it's on day 4.

As do I.

 

[LoreWalker]

I think you should leave it till day 10. 2 days wont do too much, and you want to not open the incubator as much as possible.

I have to open it daily to fill the water for humidity but I do that briefly so the eggs only sit out for about 3 minutes. Although humidity is currently still high, at 53%. I figure I need to make yet a smaller area it can evaporate from.

I see veins on the 2nd egg looks like it's on day 4.

So maybe too early to tell (for a newbie like me!) after all. Fingers crossed!

 

[JustAChickenLoverOverHere]

I have to open it daily to fill the water for humidity but I do that briefly so the eggs only sit out for about 3 minutes.

That's fine. Hens get off for 20 minutes a day sometimes and they still hatch chicks.

Although humidity is currently still high, at 53%. I figure I need to make yet a smaller area it can evaporate from.

Where are you located? City, even state could work.

So maybe too early to tell, after all. Fingers crossed!

I think it is. Keep us posted!

 

[LoreWalker]

I'm in the Netherlands, Arnhem area to be precise. Altitude is 127 feet.

We've been having weird weather the past few days (snow, hail, rain, warm sun, strong winds, all in a span of 2 hours, alternating, lol). Our house is built out of wood so I think the humidity in the house is higher than usual. Stays damp outside for longer too, it seems, since we live in a forested area.