How long ago did this duck egg die?

[Llyons053]

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I’ve been hatching both chicken and duck eggs for a couple years and this has been my first duck batch that is a 100% failure. This is one of the eggs that was growing fine…I saw veins in the beginning and watched it’s little heart beating. I haven’t checked in a little bit but I know it should be more developed at 22 days and I see no veins.

How far along was it before it stopped growing? What could’ve gone wrong? How long do I have before it explodes in my incubator?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That looks like it quit fairly early. I would get it out of the incubator and carefully dispose of it. Ducks can be more tricky to hatch.

 

[Debbie292d]

I agree with @oldhenlikesdogs that it was early on. I know personally how a rotten duck egg can smell, so I wouldn't leave it in there.

I had uncandleable ones I hatched for a neighbor, and one went bad unbeknownst to me. I could smell something horrible in the house, so I gave them all the sniff test, and whoa, I easily found the culprit. I disposed of that one far from the house.

Welcome to BYC! I hope the rest of your eggs are okay and you have a wonderful hatch!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I agree with @oldhenlikesdogs that it was early on. I know personally how a rotten duck egg can smell, so I wouldn't leave it in there.

I had uncandleable ones I hatched for a neighbor, and one went bad unbeknownst to me. I could smell something horrible in the house, so I gave them all the sniff test, and whoa, I easily found the culprit. I disposed of that one far from the house.

Welcome to BYC! I hope the rest of your eggs are okay and you have a wonderful hatch!

You never forget that smell. I dispose of rotten eggs like the live grenades they are.

 

[Llyons053]

That looks like it quit fairly early. I would get it out of the incubator and carefully dispose of it. Ducks can be more tricky to hatch.

Thank you for the reply! For some reason I’ve always had more luck hatching ducks than chickens until this batch. Might have to check on my incubator and make sure it’s still running smoothly

 

[Llyons053]

I agree with @oldhenlikesdogs that it was early on. I know personally how a rotten duck egg can smell, so I wouldn't leave it in there.

I had uncandleable ones I hatched for a neighbor, and one went bad unbeknownst to me. I could smell something horrible in the house, so I gave them all the sniff test, and whoa, I easily found the culprit. I disposed of that one far from the house.

Welcome to BYC! I hope the rest of your eggs are okay and you have a wonderful hatch!

Thank you! These eggs don’t have a smell yet but I took everyone’s advice and tossed them. I feel guilty but I knew they weren’t alive anymore

 

[Llyons053]

You never forget that smell. I dispose of rotten eggs like the live grenades they are.

Oh absolutely. Had to dispose of some bad eggs a couple weeks ago and I swear I still smell it

 

[Debbie292d]

Thank you for the reply! For some reason I’ve always had more luck hatching ducks than chickens until this batch. Might have to check on my incubator and make sure it’s still running smoothly

You're a rare one and very lucky then as duck eggs are generally known to be harder to hatch than chicks. Those ones I did for the neighbor only traveled 1/4 of a mile on foot, put right in the incubator, and of 8 eggs, three wound up not fertile or just didn't start, and we got two live ones. My chicken eggs, out of 24, I'll usually get 23 or 24.