What should you see on day 18?

[Andora]

I just candled for the last time. I'm really nervous! I have three eggs in there. One is cracked...see the other thread lol. The other two are fine.

I don't know what I am supposed to see inside the eggs. I was never able to see good movement in any of them, but they have had lots of veins and the air cells are growing larger. Up until today, there was the air cell at one end then the pointy end had some open space that got more and more veins each day in it. Today when I candled for the last time that space at the pointy end was pretty much gone. Is that supposed to happen?? All I saw was air cell and dark mass. They are brown eggs, and the flashlight isn't that bright, so I'm sure that contributes to what I can't see. I'm so nervous! I just added more water and closed the bator for the last time...

 

[horsejody]

It sounds like the chicks are growing and filling up the shells. You don't always see movement.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Basically, by day 18 you shouldn't see much of anything. The chick will be taking up all of the egg, except for the air cell part. You might be able to see some veins very near the air cell, but that's about it. Day 19-ish you can usually see the chick pushing against the membrane dividing the air cell from the rest of the egg.