ARE MY DUCK EGGS DEAD OR ALIVE?

[strawberricatt]

About two weeks ago I found one of my ducks had gone broody. I had been monitoring her for that time. Anyway one morning I went to check on her, and one of the eggs had broken.I lifted her up and she went crazy. The nest was quite a climb uphill, she got the egg in her beak. Lodging her beak under where the shell had been broken, she got out of the nest and flew down the hill. I thought she'd go back, but the next day when I went to check on her she was still gone, and the eggs were cold. I removed the remaing two eggs and put them under a broody hen. Two days later, I candled, and was very surprised to find both of the eggs had blood vessels. Yesterday I candled again and thought I saw some vein movement in egg 1. Most of the egg is dark (I'm new to candling) I could see the air pocket, and veins quite clearly but couldn't make out a chick, as I said before, most of the egg is dark. I'll post pictures as soon as I can.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Generally when the egg gets dark it means the embryo is growing. Sometimes you can see movement and sometimes you can't.

 

[strawberricatt]

Here are some pics, I was unable to catch the veins or movement with my webcam. However I can quite clearly see the air cell membrane thing. Its really gotten bigger. Any guess to how long it'll be till they hatch? Both eggs were moving this time.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Shouldn't be too much longer. How long approximately have they been brooded?

 

[strawberricatt]

Shouldn't be too much longer. How long approximately have they been brooded?

I am unsure of how long the duck brooded them for. But they been under the hen for exactly two weeks today

 

[strawberricatt]

Okay *UPDATE* This morning I went to check on the eggs, and there was a huge smash on the egg, it was bloody and weird bugs were around the blood. Anyway, I knew bacteria would set in if I left it like that, so I located the membrane and thankfully the smash was on the membrane. I opened the egg without hitting a vessel. The duckling was fully developed and breathing and cheeping. I only have one issue it's still got a small amount of yolk sac outside of the egg. Should I just leave it? I'm not sure of what to do?

 

[sylviethecochin]

Okay *UPDATE* This morning I went to check on the eggs, and there was a huge smash on the egg, it was bloody and weird bugs were around the blood. Anyway, I knew bacteria would set in if I left it like that, so I located the membrane and thankfully the smash was on the membrane. I opened the egg without hitting a vessel. The duckling was fully developed and breathing and cheeping. I only have one issue it's still got a small amount of yolk sac outside of the egg. Should I just leave it? I'm not sure of what to do?

pictures are necessary, but I suspect you should try to immobilise the duckling so that the yolk is touching nothing and leave him so that he can absorb it.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Leave it in the egg until all blood disappears, than it's ready.

 

[strawberricatt]

Leave it in the egg until all blood disappears, than it's ready.

The weirdest thing just happened, I picked up the other egg, and it burst. I think the duckling is dead. But the egg burst in my hand. It was a bloody mess. GAHH, this is terrible.

 

[ronott1]

The weirdest thing just happened, I picked up the other egg, and it burst. I think the duckling is dead. But the egg burst in my hand. It was a bloody mess. GAHH, this is terrible.

I am sorry this happened!
It sounds like the eggs were rotten.

You should be able to tell by smelling an egg if it is going bad. It will have a whiff of sulfur to it.