HELP! First-time incubation- potentially dead embryo?

[ms11]

I found an abandoned egg that I believe is from a mallard duck, and I made an incubator to hatch it at home. It was doing great- I candled it after a week and had vessels, and candled it again a week later and saw a moving embryo with vessel growth.
I candled it again today (approximately day 19), and it was mostly dark with a pretty normal air sac, but I couldn't see vessels easily like the previous checks. I also noticed a slight smell today, and now I'm nervous that it's a not-so-good smell.
Does any of this sound normal for this stage of development? Or is my egg a goner?

 

[PD-Riverman]

I found an abandoned egg that I believe is from a mallard duck, and I made an incubator to hatch it at home. It was doing great- I candled it after a week and had vessels, and candled it again a week later and saw a moving embryo with vessel growth.
I candled it again today (approximately day 19), and it was mostly dark with a pretty normal air sac, but I couldn't see vessels easily like the previous checks. I also noticed a slight smell today, and now I'm nervous that it's a not-so-good smell.
Does any of this sound normal for this stage of development? Or is my egg a goner?

Not necessarily--but check/smell it every couple days. How are you controlling the temp in this home-made incubator? What do you have the humidity at?

 

[ms11]

Thank you for your response, PD! I have a series of vents in the incubator that I open/close as needed if it gets a little too warm or cold. It fluctuates a bit, but I've gotten it to be pretty consistent around 99/100 degrees with 55% humidity (according to the digital thermometer I have next to the egg). Today the humidity was a little higher because I had to add more water to the tin I have in the incubator.

 

[ms11]

Not necessarily--but check/smell it every couple days. How are you controlling the temp in this home-made incubator?  What do you have the humidity at?

Thank you for your response, PD! I have a series of vents in the incubator that I open/close as needed if it gets a little too warm or cold. It fluctuates a bit, but I've gotten it to be pretty consistent around 99/100 degrees with 55% humidity (according to the digital thermometer I have next to the egg). Today the humidity was a little higher because I had to add more water to the tin I have in the incubator.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Thank you for your response, PD! I have a series of vents in the incubator that I open/close as needed if it gets a little too warm or cold. It fluctuates a bit, but I've gotten it to be pretty consistent around 99/100 degrees with 55% humidity (according to the digital thermometer I have next to the egg). Today the humidity was a little higher because I had to add more water to the tin I have in the incubator.

OK---just keep a eye on the egg. Good Luck