An embryo or exploding egg?

[jobeis]

Hi everyone,

I am on day 22 of hatching my first clutch of ducklings - mini Magpies. I've candled the eggs at day 7, 14 and 21 and it looks like out of 10 eggs, I only have one.

I am worried though about exploding eggs though. I have 2 incubators running and there is a smell in one but I don't know if it is the normal humidity/cooking egg smell or if the dark egg is going bad. The shells are very light/almost transparent in these eggs and the one egg has a darkness in it that you can see, even without a flashlight.

I thought the darkness was the sack of the duckling growing but now I wonder if it is a hazzard waiting to happen. Are there any good photos on the internet of what a rotton egg looks like candled?

I've put the eggs on lockdown so I don't want to handle them anymore but I guess I am paranoid. Any advice on how you can tell if it's a good or bad egg?

 

[Sally Sunshine]

sniff test them if it stinks chuck it, you can try putting it in a cup so if it does you can contain it to a degree

 

[fduncan]

I'd say pick it up and smell it it's the easiest way I know of . I just had a funky smell in mine turns out one of my marans eggs were going bad .

 

[Bill 101]

By day 14 you should have known that some were not fertile & removed them. From the sound of it, it doesn't look good for the one you have left. I'd pick it up, VERY CAREFULLY, & smell it, if that is the source of the smell you will know right away.

 

[jobeis]

This isn't the best photo I've ever taken but it's the best I can do for now. I sent it to a few people and most of them think it looks rotton. The yellowish ring looks more greenish in real life.

I'm sick with a head cold right now so my smelling is off. It doesn't smell horrible but then again, I'm sick. . .

 

[suebgbr]

Definate death in shell. If it was due to hatch there would be very little space in there. Chuck it but do it very carefully.
If you have ever put iron filings in sulphuric acid or let off a 'stink bomb' you get the idea. A rotten egg is about 10times worse stink than these though!

 

[jobeis]

OK thank you. I will pick it up with a plastic bag. Shoot, all my eggs were a bust this time.

If at first you don't succeed. . .

 

[suebgbr]

...........cheat and buy chicks!

 

[jobeis]

Well I couldn't take it anymore so I double-bagged it with ziplock bags and cracked it open. A bunch of green/black gunk came out. I couldn't even find an embryo. Very gross

Glad it didn't explode. Oh well, live and learn.