Duck Egg fertility

[Xarinn]

I was wondering if I was the only one who felt it was much harder to identify fertility in duck eggs than it is in chicken eggs?

I have 3 drakes 4 females ( they are free range so no fighting), they are about 1 year old. I know that they are mating because I witness the duck love on a very regular basis and everyone is in on the action so I would expect the eggs to be fertile but for the life of me I cannot look at the eggs and say fertile.
I do know what fertile eggs should look like in a chicken, are ducks different?

 

[Xarinn]

@Miss Lydia, @WVduckchick

It was suggested that maybe you could help me out

Much thanks

 

[WVduckchick]

Personally, my duck eggs are much easier to tell. Are you just cracking them open to look at the yolk, or trying to incubate and candling?

 

[Xarinn]

I am cracking them open to look at the yolk, can tell clear as day in a chicken egg but for some reason the duck eggs are being stubborn. I would swear they were infertile except I see the duck love all the time

 

[WVduckchick]

Female ducks have the ability to reject the drake's "fertilization", so that's a possibility. But with your ratio, I would wager many are fertile. I don't remember it being any more difficult to see the bullseye in duck eggs, but maybe @Ravynscroft or @Pyxis can give their thoughts too.

 

[Xarinn]

Thanks, I still have chicks in the bator so it will be a couple of weeks before I set duck eggs. I will just keep checking every time I use them and hopefully things will appear more clear. If all else fails I will set some and wait and see

 

[Ravynscroft]

Take some pics of the blastoderm/blastodisc and post them here...

 

[Xarinn]

Take some pics of the blastoderm/blastodisc and post them here...

Will do, thanks

 

[WVduckchick]

Also, fresher ones are harder to tell, so if you let them sit a few days first, that should help.

 

[Xarinn]

Also, fresher ones are harder to tell, so if you let them sit a few days first, that should help.

Are duck eggs similar to chickens in that they should be set within 7 days or so of being laid?