72 hours

   It has been 72 hours since the incubation process began.  You can candle eggs between 3-4 days for light colored eggs so I fugured why not do it tonight! All of my Easter Eggers looked good, I could see the veins inside of them. It was hard to tell with my Delawares, Buckeyes, Black star and mystery eggs. I'm pretty sure all of my buckeye eggs are good and at least 2 Delawares,I don't know about the other ones though. I read that for darker eggs to wait to check until day 7 to be able to tell so hopefully on Saturday I will be able to clearly see something! I would like to get a tiny flashlight to candle them, I'm sure it would be so much easier. Tonight I used the flashlight app on my iPhone, I had to position it just right to be able to see anything and I'm still seeing stars from it not aligning right and blinding myself. I could take the eggs out to look at them but I read that the oils from your skin can clog the pores of the egg.

  Speaking of which, I did buy the Little Giant egg turner Monday morning. After waking up to rotate the eggs by hand Sunday night I decided that wasn't for me. I've been sleep deprived by my husbands work schedule and a 9 month old who doesn't like sleep so there is no way I could wake up 2x a night just to rotate eggs! Plus, it's better to use the egg turner so the incubator isn't being opened multiple times a day and letting the warm humid air out. 

   I am pretty excited about the growing chickees!! It's amazing to see that life already growing inside of the egg. I think I read that their heart starts beating just 48 hours after incubation begins.  The gift of life is an amazing thing whether it be a human or an animal, it's even more amazing being able to observe a life growing right before my eyes and seeing it being formed inside the shell. It's an amazing experience and if you ever get the chance I highly recommend incubating some eggs whether it's chicken or another type of bird.  Just be sure you have well thought out plans on what and how you will be raising them afterwards so they don't become neglected or abandoned.