Well, I'd be the first to say I'm a newbie at this hatching and candling stuff. But I really think only one of my eggs is viable and I'm heartbroken. I marked the rest as questionable and possible quitters. The one good one is dark and filling up a lot of the egg. Two others have smaller masses - I'm hoping they will hatch, and they are just bantums. The eggs were Bantum & LF both. About 5 of the original 9 eggs looked a bit smaller, so we figured those were banties. I guess the good news is, after all the reading I've done about broodys and hatching, I know that I have a good chance that my hen will go broody again, and I'll have another chance.
What day are you on that you dandled the eggs? Being a newbie, let all the eggs go the full 21 days + 2. That is unless you can see a crack in an egg. Over time you will get it right.
I snuck them under her the evening of April 30th - so we're on day 12. & I plan to let the 7 remaining ones go all 20 some days, but I'm preparing myself now since it looks grim. One was broken on arrival, and one was taken out after candleing last night - cracked it and it hadn't even started to develope. But the other 7 are staying till the momma leaves them behind in the nest
