Duck Egg Have A Dark Patch

[MRae_32]

My friend had a duck nest at her house the ducklings hatched last Tuesday and she left 1 behind she took the egg in and has been keeping it warm but then all of a sudden the egg had a big grey patch on it does anyone know what this could mean?!

 

[Isaac 0]

I don't see a gray patch.

 

[MRae_32]

I can send another photo

 

[MRae_32]

 

[sylviethecochin]

I'm going to say that looks like decay, especially since the ducklings hatched last Tuesday.

Dark spots in duck eggs often mean bacterial growth (They can mean a misplaced pip, but that is not a localised little pip).

 

[MRae_32]

I'm going to say that looks like decay, especially since the ducklings hatched last Tuesday.

Dark spots in duck eggs often mean bacterial growth (They can mean a misplaced pip, but that is not a localised little pip).

should we try cracking it open or wait a bit longer?

 

[sylviethecochin]

should we try cracking it open or wait a bit longer?

I'd probably have already thrown it out at this point, but if you're still worried that it may be alive, candle. Go into a dark room, take a bright flashlight, hold it against the fat end of the egg, and see what it illuminates. Healthy eggs look like these ones
https://www.metzerfarms.com/Candling.cfm

Unhealthy eggs have no orange or movement in them at all, and may be filled with liquid (depending on when the duckling died, or if there was ever a duckling in the first place.)

 

[MRae_32]

I will have her take a photo of what it looks like.