- Feb 28, 2014
- 8
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Hi Everyone,
I have 2 broody duck hens right now, each sharing a clutch. Duck 1 started sitting on April 11th and Duck 2 started sitting on April 21st. They were still adding eggs to the clutch for at least a week or two after they started sitting, so I'm guessing incubation really started a week or so after that. They are both Welsh Harlequins and so from what I've read, hatching should be around 28 days after incubation. Being my first time, I didn't mark the eggs, or try to candle them- I just thought I would let nature take it's course. However, the hens rolled quite a few eggs out of the nest a couple of weeks ago- I'm assuming they were from Duck #1s clutch from which nothing hatched. I discarded the eggs because they were rolled out and ice cold. They did have ducklings in them at various stages of development. I also had a few eggs explode along the way (eggs I should have removed at the beginning had I candled them), and eggs that were rolled out but just rotten. Last week, there were 2 more eggs rolled out, one was cracked and had a fairly developed duckling in it (ice cold) and the other I didn't look. Now, they are sitting on 4 eggs. One of them developed an (what looks to me) like an external pip, and then what looks like a tiny crack (zip), and then another external pip- but it seems weird to me that there is no movement in the egg and I can't hear any peeping at all. I peeled a tiny bit of the pip away, and it's a clear membrane and black underneath. This clutch should have started hatching around May 17th (give or take, depending on when they started incubating). I noticed the one pip on Friday of last week, and the zip on Saturday, and the next pip yesterday- but isn't weird that it isn't peeping? What should I do at this point? What about the other 3 eggs? How long do I leave them before I assume they are rotten/ non viable?
Thanks!! I sure wish I had have at least written dates on each egg as they were added to the clutch, and candled them too!
I have 2 broody duck hens right now, each sharing a clutch. Duck 1 started sitting on April 11th and Duck 2 started sitting on April 21st. They were still adding eggs to the clutch for at least a week or two after they started sitting, so I'm guessing incubation really started a week or so after that. They are both Welsh Harlequins and so from what I've read, hatching should be around 28 days after incubation. Being my first time, I didn't mark the eggs, or try to candle them- I just thought I would let nature take it's course. However, the hens rolled quite a few eggs out of the nest a couple of weeks ago- I'm assuming they were from Duck #1s clutch from which nothing hatched. I discarded the eggs because they were rolled out and ice cold. They did have ducklings in them at various stages of development. I also had a few eggs explode along the way (eggs I should have removed at the beginning had I candled them), and eggs that were rolled out but just rotten. Last week, there were 2 more eggs rolled out, one was cracked and had a fairly developed duckling in it (ice cold) and the other I didn't look. Now, they are sitting on 4 eggs. One of them developed an (what looks to me) like an external pip, and then what looks like a tiny crack (zip), and then another external pip- but it seems weird to me that there is no movement in the egg and I can't hear any peeping at all. I peeled a tiny bit of the pip away, and it's a clear membrane and black underneath. This clutch should have started hatching around May 17th (give or take, depending on when they started incubating). I noticed the one pip on Friday of last week, and the zip on Saturday, and the next pip yesterday- but isn't weird that it isn't peeping? What should I do at this point? What about the other 3 eggs? How long do I leave them before I assume they are rotten/ non viable?
Thanks!! I sure wish I had have at least written dates on each egg as they were added to the clutch, and candled them too!
