If an egg has been in the water is it no longer viable to hatch????

[jmsim93]

My ducks have just begun to lay and I found one of the eggs on the edge of the bank, partially in water. It had only been there for a couple of hours at most. Does this damage the egg to where it will not hatch???

 

[ljf24]

Im not sure about duck eggs, but if it gets to humid in an incubator I know it can drown the embryo in a chicken egg.

 

[crazybarnlady]

I don't think so, but I am no expert on hatching eggs. My ducks have quite often laid this winter in or near the water- but hopefully someone more experienced will chime in.

duck eggs are a lot more impervious to water than chicken eggs, and if it has not been started yet I don't think it matters.

 

[Sweetfolly]

I remember reading a story (I think it was here on BYC, but I'm not 100% sure) about someone who found a nest of mallard eggs submerged underwater when a river or creek flooded, and managed to hatch ducklings from them - I think 2 hatched.

Anyway, the point of my sketchy story is that it is possible - it shouldn't hurt anything to try incubating it for a week and see if it develops at all.

 

[jmsim93]

Quote:
Great! Thanks for the feedback. I have never incubated before but a friend of mine is going to let me have his incubator because he only uses broody hens now. I will be looking at a lot of post to try and learn the basics.