Hello, I'm brand new as this is not only my first ever hatch, but when they hatch they will also be the first chickens I've ever seen in my life (apart from photographs). I'm a farm girl in a city girl's life! So...I know there are some here who just see a bad egg or an infertile egg in the candler and toss it with no second thoughts; that's not me...so try to be a little "gentle" in your answers. I will never have "thick skin" and I don't want it...ever. 18 eggs (because 2 broke) in the incubator and 7 of those have obvious chickies in them after candling (it's day 5). I decided I was going to leave the other 11 in there just in case they were 'late bloomers'. I removed the stinky one after I finally figured out which one it was. I don't have the heart to open the incubator and throw the others in the garbage. I went in there to do it today and I just couldn't do it! I'm scared they're just "delayed" chicks and if I throw them away I'll be killing them. (not even any veining on day 5 and the 7 that are viable have obvious veining and obvious chickie formation) How long can I leave them in there without throwing them away?
Thank you very much. :'') I see so many people throwing eggs away when they don't look like the perfect picture of a candled egg - as early as day 5 and it just makes me wonder if those weren't just "slower" (but just as healthy) chickies. I don't want to kill them off before they've even had a chance.
