Day 18 duck egg - found slight crack - UPDATE!! Healthy ducklings!!

[lsv313]

Ack! When I went to candle my eggs, I noticed a hairline crack on of of them. It is still alive - I saw it moving around in there - but now I am worried whether or not it can still make it. I have heard of other people putting wax, glue, or tape on - however those instances all seem to be with incubators. Mine are under a broody hen, so I am not sure if that will make a difference. Will the hen attack the egg if it has something foreign on it? This is my first hatch and we only have 2 eggs (started with 4, but 2 proved to be duds). From what I understand of duck eggs, they still have a week or two to go. Is there still hope for this baby?

 

[duckyfromoz]

Where on the egg is the crack? Best case would be that it is over the air cell - it can increase the rate of moisture loss- but there is less rick to the duckling if it is there. -You can put a little wax on it- but no glue that is toxic- or that would impede the duckling being about to hatch should it survive. The crack will increase the risk of bacteria entering the egg. Ten days to go.. I hope it makes it for you.

 

[Mrs.brown]

I had a day 5 chicken egg that had a hairline crack on it. I dripped some candle wax on it and now its developing like the others

 

[lsv313]

It was in the air sac, but now it seems like it also comes down the side pretty far. it is still just a hairline crack though. We went ahead and put beeswax on it - hopefully mamma hen won't try to pick it off and crack it even more

I really hope it makes it!

 

[lsv313]

Day 30, and both eggs hatched beautiful baby duckies! Only 1 is in the pic, but they're both there!

The wax worked!