And then they were 3

I was watching the coop like a hawk all Saturday to catch the eggs as soon as they came. But the stupid birds had decided it was not a good day, so I didn't get a single egg. Plus I spent all day just hanging outside of the coop like an idiot. Great.
At least for Sunday I was sure to get 2 eggs. So I set out and started watching the nest like crazy form morning. And managed to pick 2 eggs as they came. I even could take a photo while one of the birds was laying egg.

Go away, I'm busy!

I don't think she minded being photographed. But I think she did mind me being in her way before she went to the nest. She was outside eating and I had just brought in the poop board after cleaning it as usual, and was about to put in in the coop, when she came from behind and flapped kind of aggressively with her wings and made lots of noise so I gathered she want to go in. I gave way by putting the poop board down outside and standing myself on the side and watched as she jumped in and headed directly for the nest. Good girl.
So, took in the eggs and put them in the incubator. Then went out to do some shopping and eating some shabu-shabu. At the restaurant I happened to order a raw egg to dip my meat in (huh, huh), and noticed that egg too had a "bulls eye". Hmm, are they serving fertile eggs? A bit of googling after I came home showed that almost all eggs have that spot which I thought was the bulls-eye, but the fertile ones have a more distinct outer circle, so from the picture of the two eggs I cracked on Friday, only one of them was fertile I guess. Oh well, learn a new thing every day.
Actually I also learned that fertile eggs can be stored for days if handled properly, before being put in the incubator. So I actually didn't have to put them right in. Of course the freezing weather outside was not optimal so best to pick them early. But I could have stored them inside after having picked them, and put them all in the incubator at once. The way it is now, if the eggs would hatch, they would be hatching in sequence, 1 or 2 a day over a week's period.
Anyway, when coming home, Chika asked how the hens were and went over to say hi. She opened the nest and found a THIRD egg. Super tiny and kind of triangular shape so I guess it must be a beginner egg. But still, now 3 of them are laying.

Compared with a L size store-bought egg. We bought 1 pack of eggs in lieu of the incubator ones

I didn't put that one in the incubator. In fact I stopped putting more eggs. Now there are 7 eggs in there. The oldest ones are from 22nd, 7 days ago.
I tried candling the oldest eggs, but did not see anything.
More googling reveals that Araucana eggs are supposed to be extra difficult to candle, incubate and hatch. So I probably won't be able to see much using my LED flashlight and fist. Here are a couple of pictures though. Just for the heck of it. Tonight I will try to make a candling box or something and try again.

Flashlight + Fist

Those are not veins in my hands. They are hairs.

Nothing in the egg. Have I failed?

I probably will try to distract myself by working a bit in the garden. I did get 1 more compost bin yesterday and put in place, because the old one was full now and I will just let it rot for a few months while filling the new one.
When the weather allows I will be fixing the coop's water collection system, the short part of the cat fence, the chicken run support and net roof, the slope, leveling the ground, cutting the trees and more.
After the freezing weather last couple of weeks, I think all my beans have died more or less...

God damn!

Or maybe they are just sleeping...

God damn?

By the way, the estimation on making 3 walls in the backyard slope came. Pretty expensive... and I am not sure if the result will be safe. So I am still thinking.