I thought I would put up pictures of eggs ready for lockdown and ones that are not. Your eggs may or may not be ready on day 18. Point candling is important!
Above is a nice egg ready for lockdown, the whole egg is dark even the tip. There is a good slope in the air cell.
Below is an egg that is not ready and actually day 16-17
Light is showing by the air cell line. too much fluid, may be a day or so. There is also not a slope yet.
Below is same egg, the pointed part. It shows just a bit of clear. Not ready for lockdown moisture.
Below is an egg on day 16-17 (Pointed end) it is alive, but in reality it is not on day 16-17. It is a large egg, and they usually take longer to hatch. If you egg looks like this on day 18 it is not ready for lockdown. I would use a separate dry incubator than the eggs in lockdown above, or just know it may take a couple days longer for this egg.
(This egg is still alive, just all the action happening on the other end.)
Candling the point of the egg, making sure it is dark before locking down is as important as candling the air cell. The point says a lot, and it is often over looked.
Above is a nice egg ready for lockdown, the whole egg is dark even the tip. There is a good slope in the air cell.
Below is an egg that is not ready and actually day 16-17
Light is showing by the air cell line. too much fluid, may be a day or so. There is also not a slope yet.
Below is same egg, the pointed part. It shows just a bit of clear. Not ready for lockdown moisture.
Below is an egg on day 16-17 (Pointed end) it is alive, but in reality it is not on day 16-17. It is a large egg, and they usually take longer to hatch. If you egg looks like this on day 18 it is not ready for lockdown. I would use a separate dry incubator than the eggs in lockdown above, or just know it may take a couple days longer for this egg.
(This egg is still alive, just all the action happening on the other end.)
Candling the point of the egg, making sure it is dark before locking down is as important as candling the air cell. The point says a lot, and it is often over looked.