# Fertile Duck Egg Help!



## Alpine Crazy (Jul 14, 2019)

Hello! I have some fertile duck eggs I've been keeping in an incubator I made. Can you tell me if they are still ok? (Sorry for the blurry pictures, it wouldn't focus) The first two had black spots, is that the embryo or is it dead? The other two I think are duds, but thought I'd put them up here just because. The first two also have a lot of veins, the second one more than the first. (You just can't see it in the blurry picture, again sorry) The first one is 19 days, the second one is about 14-15 days (didn't record it, whoops) and then the third and fourth are 16-17. Let me know your thoughts!


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## bisonviewfarm (Apr 2, 2015)

Hate to say it but the only one that looks maybe alive to me is the second but the pictures not very good the first should be much larger and alot more veining for 19 days. Next time save up a few days worth of eggs and put them in at all at once
.


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## Alpine Crazy (Jul 14, 2019)

bisonviewfarm said:


> Hate to say it but the only one that looks maybe alive to me is the second but the pictures not very good the first should be much larger and alot more veining for 19 days. Next time save up a few days worth of eggs and put them in at all at once
> .
> View attachment 161817


Thank you. I did put about 6-7 but most of them were duds. And I can't save anymore at the moment because my family will be at the beach when they would be hatching! Thanks! I'll just keep the second one in for a little while longer to see if it makes any more progress. So the black dots are ok?


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## bisonviewfarm (Apr 2, 2015)

Alpine Crazy said:


> Thank you. I did put about 6-7 but most of them were duds. And I can't save anymore at the moment because my family will be at the beach when they would be hatching! Thanks! I'll just keep the second one in for a little while longer to see if it makes any more progress. So the black dots are ok?


I wouldn't say ok but Id give it a few days and see if it changes


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## Alpine Crazy (Jul 14, 2019)

bisonviewfarm said:


> I wouldn't say ok but Id give it a few days and see if it changes


Just the second one?


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## bisonviewfarm (Apr 2, 2015)

Alpine Crazy said:


> Just the second one?


 Yep


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## Alpine Crazy (Jul 14, 2019)

bisonviewfarm said:


> Yep


Alright. 
I'll definitely start collecting in another week or so to try again.


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## Alpine Crazy (Jul 14, 2019)

Here's the one I kept. When do you think it'll hatch?


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## Alpine Crazy (Jul 14, 2019)

Update on the egg. Any thoughts?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

No clue since I don't hatch eggs but neat looking!


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## Alpine Crazy (Jul 14, 2019)

Update on the egg. Any thoughts? 


ksalvagno said:


> No clue since I don't hatch eggs but neat looking!


This is my first time. They are really cool!


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## Chris488 (Sep 4, 2018)

Kinda hard to tell. Or my eyes need to adjust to the new glasses more.


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## Alpine Crazy (Jul 14, 2019)

Chris488 said:


> Kinda hard to tell. Or my eyes need to adjust to the new glasses more.


Lol


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## Ranger1 (Sep 1, 2014)

Are the last two posts of pictures the same egg? How far along would it be now?


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## Alpine Crazy (Jul 14, 2019)

Ranger1 said:


> Are the last two posts of pictures the same egg? How far along would it be now?


I didn't record this one on accident. It's in the 20's I'm pretty sure. I posted a picture of it on the 27th of August and said it was about 14-15 days, but I don't know.


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## Alpine Crazy (Jul 14, 2019)

Ranger1 said:


> Are the last two posts of pictures the same egg? How far along would it be now?


I figured it out. It's about 25 days old.


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## Ranger1 (Sep 1, 2014)

If the last two posts are the same egg, I’d say that egg died. Watch for movement though, and it doesn’t hurt to leave it in until it should hatch, if it’s viable.


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

I have hatched lots of eggs in my life
candling takes time to get the hang of.
veins are the key you see healthy veins you have chicks. watch for movement of the embryo.
watch for pooling of blood or blood rings that is a dead embryo.
pull the dead and infertile eggs they will produce a gas that kill the other eggs.
a good hatch is often just 75% i have had hatches of 35%

the most fun chick to hatch has been chucker partridges. 95% hatch and they were so tiny.


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## Chris488 (Sep 4, 2018)

Something else to think about: I've incubated a lot of different eggs over the years, and the ones that gave me the most trouble were ducks. Especially Call ducks. The humidity has to be just right and even watching that the hatch rate was never as good as with other birds. 

Leave 'em under the hen though? She'll show you how it's done.


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## Alpine Crazy (Jul 14, 2019)

Chris488 said:


> Something else to think about: I've incubated a lot of different eggs over the years, and the ones that gave me the most trouble were ducks. Especially Call ducks. The humidity has to be just right and even watching that the hatch rate was never as good as with other birds.
> 
> Leave 'em under the hen though? She'll show you how it's done.


The ducks wouldn't go broody. I heard only certain ducks go broody. It has been getting darker and darker... that's good right?


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## Chris488 (Sep 4, 2018)

Yeah, could be a good sign. 

I'm curious, do you only have the one egg left or are there more? The reason I ask is, if it's good and hatches, it'll need some company.


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## Alpine Crazy (Jul 14, 2019)

Chris488 said:


> Yeah, could be a good sign.
> 
> I'm curious, do you only have the one egg left or are there more? The reason I ask is, if it's good and hatches, it'll need some company.


I had like 6 or 7 but they all either died or were duds. This is the last one. I'm planning on keeping it as a pet more than just for eggs. I'll give it plenty of company and then once it's old it can go out to the older ducks and chickens.


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## Alpine Crazy (Jul 14, 2019)

Does any sort of odor mean the duckling is dead? I can smell something that doesn’t smell pleasant but not horrible when I like hold the egg right up to my nose.


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