Can these eggs still survive?

[Rhondasducklings]

A mama mallard has been nesting for 3 weeks by my pool. Sunday we had torrential rain and hail and she even was there that night. But yesterday she was gone. I waited to see if she would return by today but she still has not. Is it too late to incubate? I really wanted to give her a chance but she's not returning. Will any survive if they were still alive yesterday?

 

[Pyxis]

Well, she'd have to come back and sit on them or you'd have to take them and put them in an incubator (which is actually illegal so if you plan on doing that, keep it to yourself and make sure you line up a licensed wildlife rehabber to take them after they hatch) but yes, if they return to incubation, they might still make it. Duck eggs late in incubation HAVE been known to hatch if removed from heat for a day and then incubation is resumed. So, if incubation resumes soon, they might make it. But they also might not, and it would have to be resumed very soon.