When to candle, when to discard

I'm incubating my first eggs ever and was wondering, other than the compulsion to candle every day , when does everyone candle. I read day 7 or 8 and day 15 or 16.

And in order to avoid exploding eggs (I did wash them), am I at risk, if I leave the infertile or dead ones in till the very end?

If they are infertile and clear there is no point in keeping them after day 15 to 18, you may as well get rid of them.
I only candle on day 18 when I stop turning them, then all the clear ones get throw out.
If an egg is rotten, you will smell it. If you are smelling something when you open the incubator smell each egg you will find the bad one, then get rid of it very carefully.
Good luck with your hatch, patience is a key word, it's hard but it won't be long.
What are you incubating, how many and when are they dew to hatch?

Oh chickeesmom, I'm a bit embarassed. It's my first hatch and I'm moving into my second year only with chickens, yet I've chosen lavender Orps, Wheaten Marans, BLR Wyandottes and E.E.'s. The E.E.'s were free but the others were expensive, some very. I wasn't thinking BUT the good news is I have a Brinsea OvaEasy. They should call it 'The Incubator for Dummies'.

I forgot about the 'smelling' suggestion. Thanks for the reminder. Will do on day 16, if not sooner.

I forgot to mention the Marans. Can't see a darn thing and I have a good candler. Will it become obvious that they're fertile at some point and if not, can I wait till everyone has hatched?

Side note: who's mom are you? Vickie's?

Wow those are some awesome chicks you are going to have. Yes it is safe to leave them in until you are positive they aren't going to hatch. I have left them in for a couple of days after everyone else is out, just remember the smelling part. Ha ha.
Don't be embarassed, wow you are learning like the rest of us, and we all had to start somewhere.
I am mom to a little hen that the grandkids called chickee, she was setting on some eggs, I didn't have a clue what to do so I decided to check the internet. Signed up with the big site down in the states and of course they needed a user name so I became chickeesmom!!

I agree with Chickeesmom, with those dark eggs, your nose is your guide.

I begin candling on day 3, but I have done this a lot so I know what I'm looking for. For beginners, day 5 is better. With green and blue eggs, it is even more difficult.

I find that clear (unfertilized) eggs can sit in a warm bator for an amazingly long time without going bad. BUt an egg that starts then dies, those can get smelly quite fast. I wonder if one could train a dog to do the sniff test? Wag its tail for the live ones and whine for the dead ones. If there can be drug dogs, why not chick dogs?

Good luck. The more expensive the eggs, the higher the stress!

Actually Chickory Farm, Uno is the one that taught us all to use our noses when it comes to bad eggs.
That's bad eggs in the bator, not those bad eggs that come knocking at your door!!

Thanks Uno and Chickeesmom. "Follow your nose, it always knows. The favourite fruit...." Remember that commercial?

I'll do that sniff test tonight cause I think I have some blood rings.