Duckling expert needed!!!!!

[PoultryBird12]

Do you need a special light to candle? Right now I am using a fairly bright LED flashlight... is that enough? I don't think I have anything brighter.

 

[PoultryBird12]

Your telling me! For emus you cant ever candle so you dont even know if the are fertile until the hatch date, 60 days later!!!! If they dont hatch they are not fertile or dead and if they do well yeah.

Boy! 60 days! That's about two months! I can't even wait 28 days for my ducks!

 

[PoultryBird12]

If you're on day 4, that "black blob" is indeed an embryo. You should start seeing veins in the egg from day 5-7, but don't do all gung-ho on daily candling as it can actually hinder development, especially as such an early stage. Trust me, I KNOW how hard it is to restrain yourself, you just wanna know if the lil' buggers are alive!

Actually, I miss counted, I was on day 3. Now I am on day 5 and it's still a little black blob when I move the egg around. I can't see it very well. No veins or anything. :| Is that normal? I'm still crossing my fingers that it turns out to be a little ducky!

 

[Amykins]

Please don't wiggle the eggs! Don't worry, I didn't see veins in my eggs until day 7, regardless of what the books say. Just be patient! What do the other eggs look like?

 

[PoultryBird12]

Please don't wiggle the eggs! Don't worry, I didn't see veins in my eggs until day 7, regardless of what the books say. Just be patient! What do the other eggs look like?

They're duds. I'm gonna throw them out. X( Can wiggling hurt the duck?

 

[Amykins]

They're duds. I'm gonna throw them out. X( Can wiggling hurt the duck?

Oh, dear. Is there another incoming batch, or at least other ducks, for it to bond with? One duckling all by its lonesome will bond to you and then you'll never be able to get it to flock. Just trust me on this one, I gotta tiny feathered lothario harassing me constantly. Also, how sure are you that the others were duds? As I mentioned earlier, I didn't see jack squat in my eggs until day 7.

And jiggling it could kill it when it's this little. You could dislodge the chalaza, which is the membrane that holds the yolk in place. You could scramble the egg or break the air cell membrane. In other words, just leave the poor thing alone!

 

[PoultryBird12]

Oh, dear. Is there another incoming batch, or at least other ducks, for it to bond with? One duckling all by its lonesome will bond to you and then you'll never be able to get it to flock. Just trust me on this one, I gotta tiny feathered lothario harassing me constantly. Also, how sure are you that the others were duds? As I mentioned earlier, I didn't see jack squat in my eggs until day 7. 

And jiggling it could kill it when it's this little. You could dislodge the chalaza, which is the membrane that holds the yolk in place. You could scramble the egg or break the air cell membrane. In other words, just leave the poor thing alone!

So in other words... I am doing a horrible job with my first batch of duck eggs? I'm pretty sure that the other ones are duds... They've been in the bator longer than this little one. . . About 20 days.

. I hope I didn't hurt the little guy (or gal). I have other ducks . . . But I could get another one when this one is hatched. Currently, I don't have any other eggs . . .

. All the other ones that I had were duds. That's why I am skeptical about this little one. I had four other ones. Also, when I candle it, I don't shake it and wiggle it furiously, I gently tilt it side to side. Is that still bad? I hope I am doing the right thing. It's good to be told the truth, though.

 

[Amykins]

Sorry, I genuinely wasn't trying to be preachy or sound angry with my last post. I just know how tempting it can be to constantly candle and jiggle the egg when you don't know if it's a dud or not, but it's best to let nature take its course. Leave it alone for 48 hours at the minimum, as in don't even look at the bator (cept to check humidity and temps, naturally) THEN candle it again. If you don't see spidery veins then you may indeed have another dud.

 

[PoultryBird12]

Sorry, I genuinely wasn't trying to be preachy or sound angry with my last post. I just know how tempting it can be to constantly candle and jiggle the egg when you don't know if it's a dud or not, but it's best to let nature take its course. Leave it alone for 48 hours at the minimum, as in don't even look at the bator (cept to check humidity and temps, naturally) THEN candle it again. If you don't see spidery veins then you may indeed have another dud.

Wow! Intense! I won't candle it until day seven or eight!! You have my word!!!!!!