duck egg turning blue. . . .under broody duck

[wordgirl]

Looking at the egg in the nest, I'd say it's likely not alive anymore, though I'm not positive. Sorry!

At least four of my last five eggs that died at the end of the incubation (during lockdown) got dark-looking kind of like that.

 

[chicks4fun]

Looking at the egg in the nest, I'd say it's likely not alive anymore, though I'm not positive. Sorry!

At least four of my last five eggs that died at the end of the incubation (during lockdown) got dark-looking kind of like that.

What happens????
Do you think it's only the darker egg? I saw a picture on the internet of some ducklings hatching & one had a blueish egg. I was afraid to throw it out

. I hope we haven't gone this far and don't get any ducklings. That would be awful.
I did this because she lost her sister. I tried to give her a new friend but she hated her. So I had hoped she could raise her own friend.
worry. . . worry. . . worry. . .

 

[70%cocoa]

Don't worry! Just because one egg isn't looking great doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with the others. As long as it is not stinky it should be ok to leave it, if you really really don't want to take it out.

Just leave the eggs totally alone from now on and let your duck sit on them undisturbed. Resist the temptation to keep peeking!! Your duck knows what she is doing - leave her in peace and don't stress her by looking in on her all the time.

Good luck! It can't be long now till hatch day.

 

[chicks4fun]

Don't worry! Just because one egg isn't looking great doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with the others. As long as it is not stinky it should be ok to leave it, if you really really don't want to take it out.

Just leave the eggs totally alone from now on and let your duck sit on them undisturbed. Resist the temptation to keep peeking!! Your duck knows what she is doing - leave her in peace and don't stress her by looking in on her all the time.

Good luck! It can't be long now till hatch day.

I really have no idea what day to expect them to hatch. The father was a Pekin, the mothers can be either a Pekin, Khaki Campbell or Muscovy. The Muscovy has the longest time to hatch (I read 36 days I think) Being it's a chance of that mix breed I have no idea when to expect a hatch. Also how will she react if she has a baby and has to wait for more than a week for another? I am so so so lost.
I try to only peek when she comes out to eat and take a bath. I set up everything right outside the coop. Sometimes she even runs over to her pond but mostly she eats and takes a quick dip in the two tubs I have set up for her when I first let everyone out. But so far she comes out at least once a day. I started running a fan in the coop for fear she'd become a roast duck! It has been so hot. Yet, she is dedicated to those eggs. I don't always go in when she is out because I know she is keeping an eye on me. I don't want to do something to make her leave her eggs, especially this far along.
I had wanted to move her (she is in an old cat litter box) but I read on BYC that can be a real bad thing to do. So she is still in with the chickens. Sometimes one little chicken gets in the box with her! and she lets her??? This little chicken just hatched 6 eggs in May. The duck also goes over to the babies and "talks" to them. The first several times they were in a tractor (so I knew they were safe) but this week I've let the babies run outside and the duck has not done anything to worry me with the young chicks.
Thanks for the support.

 

[70%cocoa]

It sounds like she is being a wonderful Mum.

If any are Muscovy crosses they will take a bit longer than any that are not, but probably not the full 35/36 days. If possible, I would fence off the duck and her nest from the other birds. I think you have done the right thing in not moving her though - ducks don't like to be moved. Other than that though, at this stage I would just let nature take its course and look on it as an opportunity to learn.

It is likely that she will keep sitting on the nest for a day or two after the first lost hatch and will then get up and take them to find food and water. She may not return to any eggs that are still unhatched. Do you have access to an incubator that you might put any unhatched eggs into?

 

[wordgirl]

You are doing just great! Don't worry - before you know it you'll have a beautiful, happy family poking around the yard!

Sorry if I misled you about the eggs - I only meant that one blueish egg looked a little off - the others look perfectly normal!

I probably would have left it in the nest, too, just to make sure, if it didn't smell too bad.

I think cocoa's advice about fencing her off from the rest of the flock would be a good idea, if you can figure out some way to do that. If you enclose off a small enough spot, it might also encourage her to stay near her nest if they don't all hatch at once.

Don't worry - it sounds like you're doing wonderfully!

 

[chicks4fun]

It sounds like she is being a wonderful Mum.

If any are Muscovy crosses they will take a bit longer than any that are not, but probably not the full 35/36 days. If possible, I would fence off the duck and her nest from the other birds. I think you have done the right thing in not moving her though - ducks don't like to be moved. Other than that though, at this stage I would just let nature take its course and look on it as an opportunity to learn.

It is likely that she will keep sitting on the nest for a day or two after the first lost hatch and will then get up and take them to find food and water. She may not return to any eggs that are still unhatched. Do you have access to an incubator that you might put any unhatched eggs into?

I have set up a dog kennel with access from both the feed side of my coop (large shed divided in two) and the chicken side. I hoped to put her there so she'd only be about a foot from where she is now. She can still see her chicken friends, not be alone & have the babies in a safe place.
I have enough room in this kennel to move her entire box in and put in some water & food. I have held off for fear of getting her upset. I hoped once the ducklings come I could put them in there. Not sure.

I can barrow an incubator from a friend. In fact I will see her today so I guess I will pick it up---just in case. I have 6 d'uccle eggs coming this weekend and just in case my broody hen won't sit on them I needed to get it here anyway. Wow--a lot going on!

Since it will be the last week of hatching what temp? I will need something to tell me the humidity as I know my friend doesn't have a hydrometer. Also can the new chicken eggs and last week duck eggs be together? I mean will the temp/humidity be close enough that I won't compromise either?

 

[chicks4fun]

You are doing just great! Don't worry - before you know it you'll have a beautiful, happy family poking around the yard!

Sorry if I misled you about the eggs - I only meant that one blueish egg looked a little off - the others look perfectly normal!

I probably would have left it in the nest, too, just to make sure, if it didn't smell too bad.

I think cocoa's advice about fencing her off from the rest of the flock would be a good idea, if you can figure out some way to do that. If you enclose off a small enough spot, it might also encourage her to stay near her nest if they don't all hatch at once.

Don't worry - it sounds like you're doing wonderfully!

The main reason I didn't fence her off yet as she comes out to eat & drink. I let her do this when she is ready. I really am trying not to disturb her but it's really really hard to not peak. I am acting more like a kid than when I was a kid!

I hope you are right that things are going well. I know it's too soon but I am getting both excited & worried.

I know the blue egg is odd---that is why I put a call out for help. The fact that it bobs in water during a float test & doesn't smell bad made me leave it in the nest. Both of these "tests" came from the BYC community. I realize it's not an exact science and nobody seems to know the actual reason an egg turns blueish but apparently it does happen.
Thanks

to all the great people here who are willing to share their knowledge.

Yikes---I feel like I know so little, even after I've learned so much.

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

That's interesting!

I have never raised ducks before, but have been raising chickens for 8+ years now... could that blue be bacteria forming?

 

[70%cocoa]

Jersey, yes, that is basically the theory. Or mould. Basically, it may be rotting. But hopefully not!!

You can definitely move her when the ducklings have hatched. Till then do what you can to prevent other birds getting to the nest.

Make sure you use shallow water containers that ducklings can easily get out of if they happen to get in. Once a day give your mother duck a deeper container so she can wash her face, but do this under supervision. Ducklings can jump into containers and then drown - it's happened often.

You can put chicken and duck eggs in the incubator together though they normally they will need different conditions, mainly because they are at very different stages of incubation. The chicken eggs will need to be turned at least 3 times a day but don't turn the duck eggs at all (if you think they are close to the last 3 days of incubation). Put the humidity up to 70% to suit the duck eggs. After they are out of the incubator put it down again for the chicken eggs to what you'd normally use.

You're doing great!!!