Incubation/Humidity problems Please Help!!

[incubatornewbie]

I have a question! I'm using the Brea Mini Advance incubator with 7 chicken eggs. *stupid me* first time ever trying to hatch chicks and didn't realize the bator had a water well. They didn't get water inside for humidity until day 7. I am now on Day 14. I have a mixture of brown/green/white eggs that I purchased from a local farm. I can only see through the white ones. Can't even see the yolk in the others. The temp was fluctuating for the first couple of days, but I insulated the bator with a sweater and it has consistently been 99.5-99.6 ever since. I didn't want to give up on them so today (day 14) I candled the white eggs again. The yolk seems a bit bigger and so does the air cell. But I can still see through most of the egg and I don't see ANY blood vessels. Or even a dark spot where the chick might be starting. Is it time to crack one open and start over?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

Even though they didn't get water at first, did you mark the air cells so you could see how much evaporation was taking place?

Are you candling in a dark location?

I would definitely expect to see some vessels and filling of the egg by now. I have only hatched one other time though, so you might wait for a more experienced suggestion.

 

[incubatornewbie]

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[KittyKat3756]

Could you take a video or some photos of the candling?

Here is what it looked like when I candled by brown and white eggs on day 13:

Note that the white eggs were all infertile while the brown eggs were all fertile. I couldn't see at all through the blue eggshells (they turned out to be all fertile).

When you candle, do it at night with all lights off except the torch. Try moving the torch all round the egg. I also like to wear disposable gloves for this so that I don't introduce as many bacteria to the eggs.

 

[KittyKat3756]

I see you've added a photo! Doesn't look promising

By the way, it helps if you hold your fingers around the bottom of the egg so none of the light escapes around it. All the light should be shining through the egg.

 

[incubatornewbie]

Hi, welcome to BYC! 

Even though they didn't get water at first, did you mark the air cells so you could see how much evaporation was taking place?

Are you candling in a dark location?

I would definitely expect to see some vessels and filling of the egg by now. I have only hatched one other time though, so you might wait for a more experienced suggestion.

I did not mark the air cell placement. I only have 2 eggs that I can see through. I posted a photo of one of the eggs I candled today. The air cell in this egg has doubled since I candled on day 7!

 

[incubatornewbie]

I see you've added a photo! Doesn't look promising

By the way, it helps if you hold your fingers around the bottom of the egg so none of the light escapes around it. All the light should be shining through the egg.

I generally close my fingers all the way around but I was trying to make sure it would fall off while I was taking the photo! I didn't realize you could post videos here. I will get some help and try to candle all of the eggs on video for you guys so you can see what I'm seeing (or not seeing). I don't want to open one. But if there is nothing showing by now.. maybe I should.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

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Agree, (with my limited experience, keep in mind) that this one does not look promising.