Cracked egg missing contents broody duck

[WhiteTreeOfGondor]

I found this in the duck house this morning where I have 2 broody ducks. They've been sitting for about a week. Was the egg likely bad and this this a normal thing for them to do? Or did one of them kill a healthy egg? There are also 2 other hens and a drake in there but they haven't messed with the eggs so far.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Have you checked for opossums?

 

[WhiteTreeOfGondor]

Have you checked for opossums?

No, but the duck house is very secure and there were no signs of a break-in. The other eggs are all okay

 

[Kiki]

No, but the duck house is very secure and there were no signs of a break-in. The other eggs are all okay

Can rats get in?

 

[WhiteTreeOfGondor]

Not unless it went in the door during the day and I locked it in at night. We do have rats around .

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Is the shell really brittle? When they were turning the egg, it may have cracked, and then the broody ducks might have eaten the contents.
Whenever there is more than one broody sitting on eggs, they break several on accident.

 

[WhiteTreeOfGondor]

Is the shell really brittle? When they were turning the egg, it may have cracked, and then the broody ducks might have eaten the contents.
Whenever there is more than one broody sitting on eggs, they break several on accident.

It seems like a normal shell to me, but that is possible because they are sharing the nest. It also could have happened during the day or evening yesterday if it was a rat. I didn't look at the eggs when I locked the duck house, only the ducks.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Is there any way a small skunk could have walk in during the day and his? I actually had two baby skunks do that this winter. The barn is metal on a concrete slab so they had to of come through the door when I had it open. For almost a week I could lightly smell skunk in the barn, but didn't see anything and kept finding eggs broken with everything eaten inside. Here there were two teeny tiny baby skunks hiding in a corner in the covered box.

 

[WhiteTreeOfGondor]

Is there any way a small skunk could have walk in during the day and his? I actually had two baby skunks do that this winter. The barn is metal on a concrete slab so they had to of come through the door when I had it open. For almost a week I could lightly smell skunk in the barn, but didn't see anything and kept finding eggs broken with everything eaten inside. Here there were two teeny tiny baby skunks hiding in a corner in the covered box.

. It may be possible, though the duck house is in a 4 ft fenced area with 2x4 inch welded wire. I'm not sure if they can get through/over that or not. I didn't smell skunk in the area but we've seen one before near our property.