Incubating... - Welsummer Eggs - help!

[eco-mick]

Right need some advice, its coming up to 10day candle this evening - I did a quick candle on 3-4 eggs out of the 24 2 days ago and I know I got some chicks coming :claphigh: (as I can see the big spot with veins coming all over the place - thats the buff's eggs which are light brown and easy to see)

With the Welsummer eggs I've noticed a few that have a very dark "shadow" going 1/3 down one side of the egg just below the air sac. Now, as its dark shell I can't really see the veins nor the forming of the chicks, but is these eggs with this shadow on one side (yolk can't be seen moving freely) a chick in the making?

If I can, 10 day candle is tonight so will try and take a photo if anyone needs me to.

Mick

[eco-mick]

dark shadow on welsummer eggs is now 80% of the egg. Some eggs are sooooo dark I can't see anything! and I got a high Dest egg candler!!!

Still out of the 24 in the incudbator.. 15 have something inside it :)

[Thomzo]

How eggciting (sorry).

Do keep us informed.

Zoe

[red]

if in doubt, leave them in the inccy.

[Odsox]

A very opportune posting as I have a dozen due to hatch today, two have already pipped.

I think if you have a dark shadow it's got to be a chick forming.
My candler is a torch with a bog roll tube on top that the egg sits in. When I candled at 10 days there were 12 with dark spots and the 13th was totally clear ... which I cracked open to find just a "curdled" yolk.
When I candled at 15 days, all the rest were just about totally dark, full of developing chick (I hope)
Later today I shall find out if I'm right.

[red]

it can be a chick that stopped developing along the way - this can happen with eggs you get through the post, as the bouncing in postal system messes up the air sacks.. or can. saying that i have hatched posted eggs ok.

we have 4 week old chicks in the dining room and they wiff. thinking about putting them outside this weekend.. since it is so mild

re eggs - once hatching is over, is it well worth doing a post mortem on any unhatched eggs as it might tell you what went wrong and you can change how you incubate if necessary. crack them open outside though.. just in case. but not as revolting as you would imagine.

[eco-mick]

have marked all those with something inside them last night with an x on it :D - so will check them again at day 15 come wednesday/thursday to see how things are going (will leave the "empty" ones in too and like you lot saying you never know)

I am hoping for no "screammed" yolks as they only came from my own hens about 1/3 mile away from home lol.

Sumo is preset settings of 37.5c and hu of 45% (there abouts) - am hoping the machine will up that to 65% come day 19/20 auto.... gosh thinking of it, its not far away.

:) - am a big kid, as its my first time doing the incubating and pipping bits. (have always bought chicks)