hatching duck eggs

[diana rothang]

Hello, I have had various kind of ducks for several years now. This is the first time I have left the eggs in the nest to hatch.
My ducks are enclosed in a large cage attached to their house, and they are never let out to roam because i had some casualty's involving local dogs.
The eggs seemed to be growing well, you could see the feathers forming, and one even started pecking out. This little guy seems to have died in the shell.The others don't seem to be doing anything. Mom has been sitting on them regularly. Its been about 6 wks. What can I do to help the process along, now and in the future.
Thank you
Diana

 

[PirateGirl]

Have you tried candeling the eggs at all? There are some really good charts that show what development should look like at different stages as well as what eggs that are failing look like. Since it's been so long I would try to candle the eggs and make a determination if some are still growing and close to hatching or if the remaining eggs are not viable. If they are quitters, you might need to dispose of them before they are stinkers!

Good luck!