Duck egg still hasn't hatched

BackyardBirds1

In the Brooder
5 Years
Jul 5, 2014
28
0
22
I Saved my Pekin ducks last egg after her and all 14 of the other eggs got eaten/killed. I have had it on a heating pad with blankets and hay and it has had humidity and I have been turning it for at least 3-4 weeks, It got chilled a couple time during incubation but I'm pretty sure it's still alive because if it wasn't wouldn't it smell? I really want the egg to hatch so any help is appreciated.
 
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how close to hatch day is the egg?

i would candle it(a bright flashlight will work) and see if you can see veins and movement. incubating is more then heat though there a certain amount of humidity needed and since there been no humidity provided then whatever it is near the egg the baby could have passed but i would candle and see but i wouldn't think it would of survived
 
I would also recommend candling the egg. Just shine a bright flashlight in from the wide end of the egg and see what you see. If it IS still alive in there and has been incubating that long, the embryo inside should be pretty big. It might be all dark inside the egg by now (except for the air cell up at the wide end of the egg), but you should see some movement in there if it's still alive.

In addition to the humidity needs, developing duck eggs also need to be turned fairly often to develop properly. Have you been turning the egg at least 3 times a day? If they aren't turned the embryo will fuse to the inside of the shell and usually doesn't survive.

Give us an update when you can! :)
 
It has had humidity and I have been turning it 3 times a day, I just candled it last night and the air cell has gotten bigger and it is pretty much almost all dark in the egg except for the air cell. I can upload some pictures once I candle it again
 
It has had humidity and I have been turning it 3 times a day, I just candled it last night and the air cell has gotten bigger and it is pretty much almost all dark in the egg except for the air cell. I can upload some pictures once I candle it again

That's great! Did you see any movement at all? You should be able to see it moving a little around the edges in there, possibly even pushing against the air cell membrane.
 
Yea I saw a tiny bit of movement, I really hope it hatches with no problems, This is my first time hatching a egg myself So I'm extra excited.
 
That's a great sign! You'll have to keep us updated on the egg's progress. :)

Is there any way you can increase the humidity as it gets closer to hatch? Ducks need very high humidity to hatch out properly. Otherwise the membrane can dry too quickly while they are hatching and get stuck to the ducklings, making it very difficult (sometimes impossible) for them to hatch out successfully.

Good luck! ^-^
 
Of course I'll keep you posted, Do you know how high the humidity should be and when to increase it?
 
That's great news that the air cell has gotten bigger and it's dark inside! This means it will hatch soon so be prepared! The humidity should be around 65% and should not be turned starting three days before expected hatch date. Do you have a brooder ready? Don't be heartbroken if it doesn't survive I recently lost a duckling.

Good Luck!
TheEggCollecter:D
 

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