How long are fertile eggs viable?

[Oregon Blues]

Hatching eggs in an incubator and letting the duck hatch them really aren't the same at all. Rules for hatching in an incubator don't apply.

I figure that the birds know what they are doing so I leave them to it.

The duck won't set until she is ready and has all the eggs she wants. If the weather is warm, she won't be on the nest because it isn't necessary. Your birds are maintaining a nest, so they are taking care of the eggs. If they weren't interested eggs would be laid all over the place.

My goose this spring laid 10 eggs over a 30 day period before she settled on the nest. She hatched out 7 of them even though the oldest egg was a month old and the weather had frozen every night.

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

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I agree. When I was a kid I remember starting a small "school type" incubator that held 12 eggs. My grandma was a teacher and gave it to me after retiring. I was probably 10 and had no idea what I was doing really. After I put my eggs in I still had 4 spaces left. So I went into the icebox and pulled out 4 more. LOL!! They ALL hatched!
I was addicted to poultry after that, as if I wasn't before.


But this morning I found that one of the ducks layed her egg in a different spot. So I have my answer. I will drag out the incubator tonight or tmw. If she's not going to set after 20 eggs in the nest... she's not interested.

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

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I was thinking that since they're mallards their "season" for hatching is pretty much over. There should be 22 to 24 eggs in there at this point. But I haven't checked. The ducks are covering them up. (Good sign?) Of course then today "someone" laid an egg on the opposite side of their house.

 

[sourland]

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Perhaps there is a difference in the hatchability of duck eggs as compared to chicken eggs. I started out with an old Sears Roebuck round incubator. Anyone remember the type. I hatched primarily pheasant and chicken eggs and never ran staggered hatches; therefore it took about 24 days to turn the incubator around because of late hatchers, disinfection, etc. In my experience eggs held longer than three weeks hatched as well as newly laid eggs. I doubt that I ever held duck eggs longer than 4 weeks but am sssured that I held them up to 4 weeks with excellent hatchability. All eggs were stored in an earthen cellar, maintained in clean boxes, and were turned daily. Just how things worked for me - not saying that it is the norm.

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

I've decided to give her one more day to set. One of the hens rearranged the nest pulling more shavings over them. In fact, it would have been interesting to watch how she did that! She did a pretty great job! Of course, now I can't see if anyone laid an egg...

I was wondering if one of the ducks laid the egg on the other side of the duck house because the other duck wouldn't let her on the nest. I may be stretching here though..

Somebody's been busy in there for sure. The only thing that makes me wonder is the fact that she now has 20+ eggs in there now. That seems like way more than enough.... Just sayin'.



PS: Sugarland, good comments. Thanks!

 

[1234duck]

After 4 weeks of holding on to them eggs, didn't they start to smell bad? I know that theres been some eggs in the nest that the hen was sitting on and 1 or 2 went bad. I thought my girls were done laying for a while but i guess not. I found eggs in 2 nests. Both hens cover the eggs nicely with hay. My girls also share nests sometimes. They have been laying and then hatching back to back. The last 2 hatches i miss counted and they were hatched by the hen. Well the most recent hatch i hurry and hi-jacked the 4 babies and the 9 eggs and put in the incubator to finish the hatch. I sometimes let them sit on the eggs till lock down time then incubate. My Golden Cascade hen had a clutch of eggs and the Rouen hen also added some then decided she was gonna sit on them so the Rouen hatched the Golden Cascade eggs and the Golden Cascade went to a different nest and continued laying then she sat on them eggs. ~ Both of my hens sat on their eggs day and night and hot and cold weather. it was over 100 outside in the shade and they sat and stayed on the nest, got up to eat and swim then back on the eggs. They have a great hatch rate but its too hard for me to take the babies from them. They very protective moms. IMO...i wouldn't wait too long on incubating. Good luck, ~Julie~ So very sorry to hear about the loss of your Grandpa. My Grandma passed away in June.. I miss her dearly too.

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

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Thanks for all the great comments. I went out there tonight to put them up and they act like they don't want anything to do with the eggs. Ah! I think I might go take a peek out there and see where they are sleeping. It's 9:30pm so maybe one of them crawled in there. I just don't know what to do.. It would be so much easier for the duck to do this! But I've decided to grab the incubator from my grandpa's house tmw. (I made sure it was still there) Give my Grandma a good visit too!!

Sorry to hear about your loss. It's so hard isn't it? Thanksgiving and Christmas will be the worst I think..