Definitely did it at night with all lights off. Removed 8 non-fertiles tonight, not waiting for a smell! There are a few more questionables but I will wait until next week to make sure. All my Marans eggs seem to be developing though, so I'm happy about that!Hello and welcome!!!fellow Oregonian here
I am also on my first hatch (day 13) and learning a lot. I highly recommend waiting until it gets dark outside to candle. Even with the blinds shut, it's still too light. Once I started candling in a pitch-dark room, it helped a lot! Also remember to candle from the big end to see the air bubble.
One trick I learned to separate the clears from the developing, I would hold the egg horizontal on my closed fist, with the candle light in my hand. The yolk, as you know, is dead center inside the egg. It's held there by a small string called the chalaza. The baby chicken is hanging onto that yolk. So what I would do, is slowly move the light from the small end, pointing through the clear, towards the left side of the yolk, then the other side - through the clear, toward the right side of the yolk. By doing this side-to-side left-right movement rapidly, I could really identify what was in the very very center of the egg. This helped me confirm some as alive, and others as clears. I waited until day 12 to remove the clears though.
Awwww
This is what I found this morning!
I'm in love with these chicks!!! So cute!!!!
These are a real kick...the little light colored one toward the back of pic 2, is the one I thought was not going to make it.
Still very slow growing, but very sweet.
. The other two have no signs of anything yet, but 5 out of 7 for my first hatch is very exciting. These are New Hampshire Reds.
