Duck Egg Candeling

[Alicekelly94]

Hi, I am currently incubating three duck eggs. I am on day 10. I keep trying to Google pictures of what I shouldn't/should be seeing. Nothing is exactly helping.

The 2 out of 3 eggs in the incubator do have something inside. If the egg is fertile, should it be pretty dark on just one side? I move the egg and I can see the dark part moving but that's about it.
The other egg doesn't have the dark part.
Any recommendations or advice?

 

[Orca5094]

At 10 days you should see the red blood vessels branching out in there, probably only on one side and not all over inside the egg yet. Do you see any vessels at all? What you are describing sounds about right for the two eggs you're seeing dark areas in.

Have you seen this chart? It's pretty spot-on for duck eggs:

 

[Alicekelly94]

I don't think I've seen any vessels. That's my issue. What I see looks more like day 22. So do you think that's just unfertilized yolk maybe?

 

[TheMallardMan]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...y-15-candling-movement-pictures#post_14228585

Here s what mine looked like yesterday at day 15

 

[Alicekelly94]

I don't think I'm seeing anything like that. All I see is a dark area on one side that moves when I move the egg. I'm using an LED flashlight in a dark room. Is that not enough? I will post my pictures later tonight so you can tell me what's going on hopefully. I'm new to this but I'd figure they'd be fertile since the ducks are mating.

 

[TheMallardMan]

I'm new to this also, looking toward to seeing your pics

 

[Orca5094]

An LED flashlight in a dark room should definitely be enough (that's what I use myself actually). I'm thinking they might not be fertile if you don't see any red blood vessels at this point. It sounds like maybe it is just the yolk moving around in there. But yes, try to get some pics if you can.

 

[Alicekelly94]

Update! I'm pretty in shock with my finds tonight. I had checked the eggs a few nights ago (which what I was referring to at my first comment) and 2 eggs now have movement and I can actually see it inside. I don't know why I didn't see this a few nights ago and have never seen any veins. Does this sound like it should be day 10???

 

[Orca5094]

If you see movement then that's definitely a good thing! Maybe they are farther along than day 10? Are these from your own ducks, and could they have been incubated by the hen for a bit before you put them into the incubator? Strange you didn't see vessels, but so long as they are moving in there it sounds like they are good!