How much will duck eggs weigh when they are ready to hatch?

[BjsBestGirl]

how much will duck eggs weigh (grams, ounces or otherwise) when they are ready to hatch. i have some eggs and sundy was day 28. they must be muskovy or not duck at all (got them in auction). the problem is theyre not glossy like muskovy, but they havnt hatched yet. does anyone know how much they should weigh?

 

[CityChicker]

There is virtually no way possible to answer your question. It depends entirely on how much they weighed when they started incubation and what your humidity has been. Ducks eggs vary radically in size. I have some that lay eggs smaller than bantams and some lay eggs as large as Geese. Especially if you don't know what they are, there is no way to know what they should weigh. Have you candled them?

 

[BjsBestGirl]

3 weigh EXACTLY 77grams. 7 weigh EXACTLY 68 grams and one weighs 59 grams. i was just wondering if you can tell if theyre good or not based on their weight. they were due yestrday. maybe an average for ducks as opposed to peafowl. or do all large eggs weigh the same? humidity is and has been a steady 80%

 

[duckyfromoz]

The weight of eggs is only a rough guide - weighing eggs before incubation and during the last stages of incubation should allow for the comparison to determine the actual loss of moisture during the incubation period. 12% -14% of total original weight is the average loss during the incubation process. The sive iof the air cell is also a good indication of the stage of developement. Just before the actual hatching process begins the air cell can take up to 1/3 of the whole egg. Humidity and temperature of the incubator - if not correct- will be reflected in the weight loss and air cell size.

 

[BjsBestGirl]

thank you! the egg is still pretty empty but now that i know about the air cell thing, i feel better. with chickens, most of the egg is covered inside. so i was comparing to that. i feel so much better now. we have LOTS of thunderstorms out here. an old wivestale says the thunder will kill the egg. some people say its not true but i have experianced it first hand. when every egg (out of 50) doesnt hatch and seem to have died at the same time (based on candling), something's gotta give. that has happened twice this year about 2 weeks-in, the first time and 10 days-in, the second. i do believe that they are muskovy since they have not hatched yet. i keep looking and-----nothing. well, ill just keep peeking through the window every day till it happens!

 

[duckyfromoz]

I have seen a lot of discussion about thunderstorms killing eggs- some people do believe it- But unless the thunder actually hits the ground very close to the nest it is more likely that a storm would scare the mother from sitting on the nest and therefore the eggs get cold and stop developing. Thats just my thoughts anyway.

 

[BjsBestGirl]

thunderstorm couldnt have scared my hen off the eggs cause they were in the incubator. i understand the critisism of sceptics. there have actually been studies on it though. i thought my fiance was just full of it when he said it was possible. but to have a 100% mortality rate twice in a row with over 100 eggs in total, i just dont think its coinsidance. yes thunder does get very close. we have a metal roof. the first time it hit about 200 yards from my house and the second time about 300 yards. it was close anough to hear instant crack of the tree instead of a delay. the power didnt go out either time. we wayched the eggs and they didnt seem to grow a bit after that
! so some dont believe, but i do.