First time hatching duck eggs

[duckduck12]

I have a cayuga that has gone broody and is laying on about 10-12 eggs. This is my first time hatching duck eggs so I'm not really sure what I'm doing, some of the eggs have started to turn black.. Is this normal? I believe the eggs have been sitting under my cayuga for around 15-20 days. Do any of you have any experience hatching duck eggs naturally?

 

[Orca5094]

Can you get a quick pic of the eggs? If they are turning black (that you can see from the outside), they are rotting and need to be tossed. If you take a little sniff of those eggs you will probably smell that they are not good.

Have you candled any of these eggs during incubation? I would suggest going out at night when it's dark and candle them all real quick to see if any are still good and if you can see the embryos moving around inside.

 

[duckduck12]

Yes the eggs are black from the outside, but I can still see a little movement and some veins! And the don't really smell, I did have to throw out a couple that were definitely rotten. I'm wondering if all my eggs are dying at the same point in the incubnation process? I have been candling the severval times a week. Also are my eggs turning black because they are cayuga?

 

[Orca5094]

Ok, well a picture would help at this point if you're able to post one. Eggs do not normally turn black during incubation unless they are rotting inside.

Cayuga eggs can have a dark grey or even black "bloom" on the outside of the shells when laid, but they will not turn darker or black as the eggs get older. That is not normal. (I have Cayugas myself.)