Muscovy ducks still sitting on eggs after 7 weeks.

[fishdaughter]

Hi folks, I'm new here and new to keep Muscovy ducks. I'm starting wonder if the two broody ducks are sitting on bad eggs after 7 weeks and no hatching. I don't have a candler, but used a bright torch to see if I could work out if there are ducklings inside. Some of the eggs were definitely not fertilised at the bubble moved about, so I chucked them away. One egg I was so uncertain and exasperated, not knowing what I should be seeing, so I started to crack it and there was what looked like a semi-formed duckling....but I was so horrified at what I'd done that I didn't continue to see exactly what was going on inside. I daren't do that again. The others look like some of the google images of good eggs....but the shells are so thick I can only see a slanting air pocket. In some the air pocket seems to be huge, nearly about a third of the total egg volume....I've not seen any movement in any of the eggs which I expected to see by now. There was a horrible cold spell a while ago (I live in the UK) and I'm starting to now think perhaps the ducklings started to form, then got too cold to continue and died. The ducks chose to sit outside, despite have two nice cosy huts to occupy. I put water and food by them so they didn't need to wander too far. Google says 30 - 35 days incubation....it's now 49. I know some eggs were laid after the initial brooding date I noted, but probaly within a week of sitting. Do I give up and remove the eggs?
My little tiny hen sat on two eggs and I was surprised to see two little fluffy chicks yesterday morning...so quick and effortless compared to the ducks.
Please help. I've no idea what to do.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi folks, I'm new here and new to keep Muscovy ducks. I'm starting wonder if the two broody ducks are sitting on bad eggs after 7 weeks and no hatching. I don't have a candler, but used a bright torch to see if I could work out if there are ducklings inside. Some of the eggs were definitely not fertilised at the bubble moved about, so I chucked them away. One egg I was so uncertain and exasperated, not knowing what I should be seeing, so I started to crack it and there was what looked like a semi-formed duckling....but I was so horrified at what I'd done that I didn't continue to see exactly what was going on inside. I daren't do that again. The others look like some of the google images of good eggs....but the shells are so thick I can only see a slanting air pocket. In some the air pocket seems to be huge, nearly about a third of the total egg volume....I've not seen any movement in any of the eggs which I expected to see by now. There was a horrible cold spell a while ago (I live in the UK) and I'm starting to now think perhaps the ducklings started to form, then got too cold to continue and died. The ducks chose to sit outside, despite have two nice cosy huts to occupy. I put water and food by them so they didn't need to wander too far. Google says 30 - 35 days incubation....it's now 49. I know some eggs were laid after the initial brooding date I noted, but probaly within a week of sitting. Do I give up and remove the eggs?
My little tiny hen sat on two eggs and I was surprised to see two little fluffy chicks yesterday morning...so quick and effortless compared to the ducks.
Please help. I've no idea what to do.

49 days is a long time when it can take 35-37 for Scovy's. Are you absolutely sure when they started sitting? Give them through the weekend and candle again. smell them too at day 49 you should have some rotten ones in there.

Chickens and ducks no comparison as far as hatching but then again look at shell chicks have a much thinner shell to break through ducklings should come equipped with a hammer and chisel to get out of their egg it is so thick.


Welcome to BYC @fishdaughter in case you need a guide http://wildliferehabber.com/candling-eggs

 

[fishdaughter]

Thanks Miss Lydia, I made a note of when duck 1 (called Lady Whizzpopper) started sitting...she started with 4 eggs then a week or so later had 11. She's down to 8 now after I worked out that some were bad. I noticed this morning though, that 1 of the remaining 8 is going purple and another has a strong purple streak going round the middle. According to google its either going to explode or hatch in a couple of days.
As their shells are so hard, do the ducklings sometimes not manage to peck their way out?
I'll wait til after the weeked as you advise, then think what should be done. I only have a torch and can't work out what is going on inside the eggs. Are there are surefire ways to tell if there is a live chick inside?