Is this duck egg fertilized?

[NewJourney]

So, I have 5 female ducks. I was getting 5 eggs daily. I had dropped down to 4 eggs, then 3 eggs daily. I thought it was because my rooster is being rude and chasing them around sometimes, whether to be mean or to mate, I don't know. But I just put chicken eggs into our new incubator (for the first time) and so I've been learning about fertile eggs, what they look like (such as in a frying pan), etc... And just this morning I go to make breakfast and I crack 2 duck eggs into my pan to fry them up and notice the bullseye!! I don't have any drakes... Though two of them, I assume the ones that quit laying seem to be squeaky and getting raspy. So, I figured they were getting sick with a respiratory illess. Just a month ago we had a chicken come down with one, a few days on the "hospital" (house in a crate) out of the cold weather and wind, with VetRX on her beak, and in the water, and she was fine.

My questions are:
1. I know that in rare instances a duck can transition into a drake due to her ovary being damaged, and sometimes even develop "masculinized" reproductive tract, an even deposit semen into a hen... Does this sound like something I should consider is happening to my ducks? I have never seen them mate properly, they are all confused as to what happens and why, and I've never seen a protrusion from the duck on top when they hop off of the one below.
2. Is it more likely that a wild duck (mallards I think) visited our yard? I doubt our rooster would allow it - though I see that our flock generally leaves the chickadees and doves alone that come clean up extra food that the chickens and ducks aren't eating... I do hear quacks occasionally from far away, and occasionaly see ducks flying high overhead but it's rare. I've never seen one anywhere near our chicken yard. And my dogs are outside most of the day and I'm sure they would have noticed and at least barked to alert me.
3. What do you all think is going on? Is it even "fertile"?

For some of these photos I had turned on the vent fan/range hood light and that's what that extra reflection is.
These are just two eggs in the pan. The one closest to me is the one I first noticed but it also appears as though the second egg might have a bullseye.

It's not possible for a chicken/rooster to fertilize a duck, right? I know the duck cloaca is very different and like a maze compared to a chicken, let alone trying to let the rooster hop on haha

I think the third photo and the last one seem to be the best quality photos.

 

[cheezenkwackers]

I do not think they are fertile. I have found the size of the white dot to be the key in ducks, not the bullseye. In my picture, the egg in the front is fertile, the one in the back is not (even though it has a faint bullseye). But, if you want to know for sure, put a few in the incubator.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I also think NO.. That it doesn't look like a bullseye. I do see what's in question as a bullseye though!

It's not possible for a chicken/rooster to fertilize a duck, right?

Not the answer you're looking for but.. Self fertilization known as parthenogenesis is a possibility seen among some fowl (though not water fowl specifically)..

Though not super common, even less common to be viable all the way through hatch.. and when hatch does occur (more common among some species) then offspring are most likely to be male.

No.. I've NOT seen a damaged ovary bird PRODUCE semen.. they don't have testicles.. but I'd like to see some studies if you have links!

 

[NewJourney]

I also think NO.. That it doesn't look like a bullseye. I do see what's in question as a bullseye though!


Not the answer you're looking for but.. Self fertilization known as parthenogenesis is a possibility seen among some fowl (though not water fowl specifically)..

Though not super common, even less common to be viable all the way through hatch.. and when hatch does occur (more common among some species) then offspring are most likely to be male.

No.. I've NOT seen a damaged ovary bird PRODUCE semen.. they don't have testicles.. but I'd like to see some studies if you have links!

I'm not bias toward any specific answer. I am just shocked to see what appeared to be a blastoderm. I have some duck eggs in the refrigerator I coud attempt to incubate but I'd have to build a homemade incubator with a heat lamp and my analog thermometer/hygrometer.

I don't know how to find "studies" on the subject, like one would with human medical information. I searched online and didn't see sciency studies such as from medical journals. Here is what seems like a great article on how and why a transition may occur BBC News Science Article.

Just this afternoon we traded a laying chicken hen for a drake. So, the drake is in with the ducks right now. I presume the eggs they lay overnight or in the morning wouldn't have the potential to be fertilized by the new drake? I don't know how long it takes for mating thru possible fertilization... I could save those eggs back and incubate them. I have a heat lamp and a ceramic heat emitter (like a bulb but ceramic like for a reptile)... I have an analog thermometer and hygrometer. hmm...

It looks like, according to "sourland" commenting on another post from 2018, that if I'm going to incubate their eggs and see if they are fertile I should do it BEFORE they become fertile from the newly introduced drake, which can take only 2-3 days after first mating. I doubt they will mate overnight but tomorrow once they're out in the yard and pool together, I will bet the ladies will quickly warm up to him. He seemed like a very nice drake from the short time I spent with him before I put him into our coop. I will collect tomorrow's eggs and make a homemade incubator. Worst case scenario, if I do get a duckling I can raise it with the chickens we are expecting to hatch in about 3 weeks.

If he's breeding the hens, the eggs are fertile. They were fertile within 2 or 3 days of the first mating. Good luck with the incubation.

 

[Mblack4]

Those eggs are not fertile, all eggs will have the “white disc” when they are fertilized they get a very distinctive circle around another with a solid center.
Eggs that have been refrigerated are less likely to hatch even if you really had the drake to fertile. Regardless of being in the fridge or not the eggs in pic aren’t going to do anything but rot in your bator.
Hatching is super interesting and kind of addictive lol you should find some local fertile eggs and give it a shot…… but beware of DUCK MATH

 

[Mblack4]

Ducks mating chickens can hurt or kill them. Ducks have a penis much different then a roo……. Please read up on that!

 

[NewJourney]

Ducks mating chickens can hurt or kill them. Ducks have a penis much different then a roo……. Please read up on that!

I don’t know who this was a reply to but I don’t have a drake. I did for a while after I posted this thread then bought a couple of ducklings and raised them up for about 4 weeks then introduced them into the flock but the drake immediately tried to harm the young drake. It appeared as though he was going to mate with him so I immediately pulled the drake off the youngin and separated him. He went to a new home the next morning.

I’m, again, drakeless until my youngin matures.

While I did have a drake he never bothered my chicken hens. He had 5 ducks to mate. Then one died in the pool. And shortly thereafter we rehomed him.