Abandoned egg

[Gtmommy]

I had a duck abandon her egg at my front door. Right now we have a make shift incubator which includes a 10 gallon aquarium and a heater lamp. We've had the egg about a week now. It's rotated every 4 hours. Today I candled it the best I could however I've never raised a duck and all the pictures I've found say the egg is infertile but the yolk is getting bigger. Here's a picture any help?

 

[birdmanmax]

I appears to be infertile there is no development that I can see at all no veins nor air space.

 

[Gtmommy]

That's what I thought. However my husband said it's gotten bigger so he feels something is growing. Could I be candling it wrong or need a different light

 

[birdmanmax]

No looks like everything your doing is great it just doesn't seem to be fertile. On day seven a formation of an air cell should start to become visabke and there should be a small little embryo going with little dark lines (blood veins) feeding it.

If you really think it's alive some better pictures would help maybe a few different angles. But here is a diagram of what it should look like if fertile at this age.


http://www.nantahala-farm.com/images12/Duck-egg-28days-day-by-day-incubating-400.jpg

 

[Gtmommy]

Heres another picture.I have to get a better candling light but found what appear to be veins. Guess we will be riding it out to see

 

[birdmanmax]

Yes now it looks like the egg has veins and a small little embryo. I agree ride it out and see what happens.

 

[Gtmommy]

@birdmanmax we are at day 22 and it looks like we have a viable little guy. Can you tell me on what day do I stop rotating? And does the humidity need to be up to 94 and temp down at 98.5 on said date

 

[birdmanmax]

I would lockdown meaning don't rotate on day 25 raising the humity to 65% and then raising it again to 75% or 80% when they began to pip.

 

[QuackSpeak]

@Gtmommy , Hope your little guy hatches!! It's so good that you're doing this!
How do you know it's a duck egg, just curious? Ducks are very social animals, they either need other ducks or a human who works at home. Who will he imprint on? Do you have ducks already, or will he be your first?
Please update with pictures if she hatches! I love ducky pictures lol

I think you are doing a very good job so far - I hope she makes it!

 

[Gtmommy]

Pip? Sorry this is my first hatch