Egg check please

[floridawildducks]

Hi! How are these Pekin Duck eggs looking? Wondering if the darker colored ones might end up being bad eggs.

For reference - This is a neighborhood Pekin duck nesting in my bushes. I don’t touch the eggs or disturb the nest. I’m just trying to protect her and the nest from predators. She took a broken egg out of the nest last night and left it in the driveway. It was pretty stinky. IF those duck eggs are potentially “bad” should I remove them to prevent them from making a mess or damaging the other eggs? Or will mama duck not like that?

Thanks!

 

[nuthatched]

Unless the duck is actively sitting on the nest, they're likely all rotten.

 

[floridawildducks]

Thanks! Yes, she is actively sitting. I took the picture while she was on a break.

 

[GardenofMary]

Hi! How are these Pekin Duck eggs looking? Wondering if the darker colored ones might end up being bad eggs.

View attachment 3895457

For reference - This is a neighborhood Pekin duck nesting in my bushes. I don’t touch the eggs or disturb the nest. I’m just trying to protect her and the nest from predators. She took a broken egg out of the nest last night and left it in the driveway. It was pretty stinky. IF those duck eggs are potentially “bad” should I remove them to prevent them from making a mess or damaging the other eggs? Or will mama duck not like that?

Thanks!

The dark ones are spoiled, you should be able to smell rotten egg through the shell. If you're careful not to upset her, it won't hurt to remove the bad eggs before they explode under her.

 

[floridawildducks]

Unfortunately none of the eggs hatched. We lost the last one on Friday. Mama duck came back two times the final morning to see the nest, but she hasn’t been back since.

Our daughters are sad they don’t get to see baby ducklings. We are glad the mama duck is safe though. There were quite a few predators. The last bits of egg were eaten by raccoons.

It’s been quite the experience.