Desperate help needed! Hatching duck eggs...

[kacorey]

There is a pond across from our house. We have noticed two ducks (mallard and a pintail) and a goose that have/had nests there this spring. The pintail's nest was ravaged by a skunk. DH heard the ruckus outside and shot the skunk but all but one of the eggs were broken when he got there. Brought it home and put it under a heat lamp. Tonight the mallard was killed by a passing semi. He located her nest and brought home 5 eggs. Hopefully mama goose who is still out there will be able to keep her nest/eggs intact and hatch her goslings. However, we now have 6 duck eggs that we have NO idea what to do with. How do we go about hatching these and what are the chances that they will hatch? We have two ducks already...a hen pekin and a drake mallard...will they be mean to the ducklings if they do hatch?

 

[kacorey]

Need to add that I just candled these eggs. They were dark in the center with light on both sides. The yolk moved as I turned the egg so...I'm thinking either they're very early or not fertilized or who knows...I have no idea what I'm doing.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Need to add that I just candled these eggs. They were dark in the center with light on both sides. The yolk moved as I turned the egg so...I'm thinking either they're very early or not fertilized or who knows...I have no idea what I'm doing.

You really need an incubator to hatch them successfully it would be near to impossible to keep the humidity where it needs to be. Your heroic efforts to save these eggs maybe for naught. Unless you have a friend with a bator.

I'll go find you some candling pics so you know what your looking at. And to answer your question about your adult ducks, It is not a good idea to put babies in with adults, they don't have paternal instincts to care for the ducklings and most likely would see them as intruders, best to introduce slowly. through fencing first then supervised meeting but always ready to intervene if someone gets nasty. Hopefully these pics will help you determine if the eggs are viable Good luck http://animalscience.ucdavis.edu/avian/pfs32.htm

 

[kacorey]

If we got an incubator today, could they be saved?

 

[Miss Lydia]

If we got an incubator today, could they be saved?

It's worth a try,

Have you candled?