Help baby duck hatching first time

[Meggan Excalibur Fletcher]

I have Muscovy ducks. My female has been on her nest for a while now, at least 23 or so days. Today one of my small dogs took an egg but when we found it... it was rotten. So my mom and I took all of them out and cracked one, sure enough, it was rotten. We couldn't even hold it up to our face (unbroken) the outside of the egg smelled so bad. But the next one we cracked had a baby. He was really small and had a giant yolk attached (he was white-ish). He looked like an 18 but we looked it up and they said muscovies take longer. He looked normal. He didn't make a sound but he did blink and then he died. If we knew it wasn't rotten we would have never touched them. I just need more information now. This is my first batch of eggs from any duck. I don't want to mess up again :'(. Please help me

 

[Miss Lydia]

It takes 35-37 days for Muscovy ducklings to hatch. Once your duck begins brooding full time I'd check the nest often when she gets up to drink and eat. That way you can keep an eye on the eggs, I candle often also. My ducks are very use to me doing this so you have to work with them so they get use to you being around and putting your hand in their nest. One reason I do it while she is off the nest.

I leave everything else to my ducks the brooding and hatching so far it has worked out well.

Very sorry about the duckling but at 18 days incubation it was only half way there.