We have a hen that has been sitting on 7 brown eggs for six to seven days now. After reading some of the conversations here, we tried to see if the eggs are developing. We used a mag flashlight tonight, but cannot tell anything. The shells are too dark. It appears that 1/2 or part of the egg is darker than the rest but cannot see the veins as people have said we should. Is this because they are brown and harder to see through or are we using the wrong type of light. Any suggestions? Yes they should be fertile eggs as we do have a rooster! Thanks!!

I have brown eggs. I have a special candler from a farm supply. It looks like a black plastic bicycle handle with a light inside. You cannot see the veins but you can tell if it is clear or if is filling up dark.

I use an old filmstrip projector with the top of an old drip coffee carafe taped to the lense. The small indented hole in the top is perfect for helping center the eggs. The rest of the top helps block out the extra light. I use this with all type of eggs and the bulb of the projector is bright enough to let us see the inside of the egg clearly. I work with mentally and physically challenged students ages 3-22 and they love being able to see the chicks as they develop.