Hen hatching ducklings... eggs have a crack on them..

[Crazyabouthens]

My hen vicky went broody about 3 weeks ago now. I only have hens and don't have a rooster so her eggs weren't going to hatch. However, I do have a female and a male duck, the female lays eggs but she doesn't go broody so I just take her eggs to eat. So I done a bit of research about a hen raising a duck and what I read, it seems okay to do. So I gave her 3 duck eggs to sit on and everything was going good. Last week I noticed a crack on one of the eggs, it wasn't a big crack but you could see the "membrane" (I think it's called?) on the egg. I looked it up and there was lots of techniques to use to try keep the chick alive. The easiest one I saw was using masking tape to cover the hole to stop air and bacteria getting in. So that's why I did. I have been candling the eggs and they all look as though there is something in there. They are due to hatch this Thursday. But then this morning when I checked the eggs, another one had a very very small crack on it at the top of the egg. I don't know if that's meant to happen because it's due to hatch soon, or maybe vickey has accidently cracked it when she's been moving about. So that's my first worry that I need advice on, what do I do??? My second worry is about the other egg I put masking tape over. Will the chick still be able to hatch with that over it? Do I take it off??

 

[PippinTheChicken]

@CluckNDoodle

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Liquid bandage or nail polish would work well for such a small crack and they can still pip through those. Is the crack with tape also located on the rounded end of the egg? You shouldn't need to remove it unless the tape is covering the air cell where the duckling will pip and zip. Good luck on your hatch!

 

[Lemon-Drop]

I'm not sure...
@Lemon-Drop

Thanks for the tag! @CluckNDoodle posted some excellent advice.
I’ve also used candle wax on the one that I had that cracked. It made it until about day 7, but no farther than that.

 

[PippinTheChicken]

Are you sure they aren't hatching?

 

[PippinTheChicken]

But I'd wait for more opinions

 

[Crazyabouthens]

But I'd wait for more opinions

Okay thank you do u know anyone that would be able to help

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Thanks! The egg with the tape on it has a crack going right through the middle of the egg.. I peeled a wee bit of the tape off to have a look at the crack and it seems to have gotten bigger and the tape is peeling the shell off. There was a bit of blood on some of the tape and I could see a dark thing through the hole... what should I do?

If it's going through the middle of the egg where the chick won't be pipping then I wouldn't touch it. Was the blood fresh or dried from when it happened? Could the broody hen be repeatedly stepping on or pecking the eggs? Some hens just aren't as careful with eggs or maybe she needs more nesting material?

Should I use nail polish on the egg that I found cracked today?

Either the liquid bandage or nail polish will work well with closed cracks like that one and I've watched a chick pip through the nail polish first hand so I know it doesn't hinder the hatch.

 

[Crazyabouthens]

The crack has gotten so much bigger than it was last week

 

[Coops Dad]

Aren't duck eggs incubated for 28 days?