Duck egg developing a lot slower than others

[Jelibaen]

Hi everyone!! Hope you are all having a great 2025. I have a question about a duck egg!

I put these eggs in on March 2. One of the eggs, #11, is developing wayyy slower than the others but is still kicking and squirming and lively as ever. Wanted to see what your thoughts were?

As compared to egg #10, which is more typical of an egg due to hatch in about a week (from my experience)

 

[Susan Skylark]

Might actually want to water candle that one (float in a glass of 100F water and see if it wiggles or bobs). I’d say it’s dead and the embryo is clumped up and sloshes around but you say it is alive, it could be deformed and just stunted? As long as it isn’t stinky you can leave it in the incubator but that much light visible through a late term egg is never good and likelihood of hatching is slim.

 

[Jelibaen]

Might actually want to water candle that one (float in a glass of 100F water and see if it wiggles or bobs). I’d say it’s dead and the embryo is clumped up and sloshes around but you say it is alive, it could be deformed and just stunted? As long as it isn’t stinky you can leave it in the incubator but that much light visible through a late term egg is never good and likelihood of hatching is slim.

I am 100% sure its the embryo moving. Even when the egg has been sitting still, it will kick and wriggle same as the others!
I have a feeling you are right with the low chance of hatching though. Probably isnt a good sign. All of the others seem to be developing normally!

 

[Susan Skylark]

I rarely ever see movement in my quail eggs, I’m jealous! But no matter the species, that much light fluid in a late term egg is bad, sorry!

 

[Jelibaen]

Well, quick update: we have externally pipped on time with everyone else! Not sure what's going to become of it but I will let you know in the morning!

 

[Jelibaen]

Well, I'm glad I left it! Just hatched out with some minor assistance (malpositioned legs) but seems healthy and fully formed! Not sure what happened with candling but maybe it was a weird angle?