Sorry you dropped one, Destin. I'm glad it didn't break!
I candled two of the eggs that I put in the 'bator and saw veining in them. It's so hard to see in these dark eggs!!! I am very glad that they are developing. I was a little worried about them after their rough beginning (one night half-under broody, one day and night in an empty nest, then the brooder).
I'm tempted to check all of my broody's eggs but I really should wait a few more days. These BCM eggs are tough to candle and I don't want to accidentally throw a good one out. Poor Lacey may end up with more chicks that she knows what to do with!!
In other news, I went to collect eggs yesterday and that stinkin' (literally) rat snake was back in the coop, sitting in a nest and had eaten 5 eggs! I'd relocated him once before and I swear he must have been the one to eat 3 of my chicks last hatch. So it was time for him to die. I'm not sure how DH has managed to cut off their heads with the shovel, because that wasn't working for me at all. Mr. Snake just let off a rank odor and regurgitated all the eggs.
I ended up having to pick him up, put him in a bag and bludgeon him with a splitting maul. At least my mom was visiting and was able to bring me "weapons" so the snake didn't get away. Poor Lacey was such a trooper though all the action. I'm glad Mr. Snake didn't try to take her eggs.
Then it was off to a friend's to pick chanterelle mushrooms for dinner. What a treat!