Incubating duck eggs, one is looking a bit odd, I'm expecting the worst...

[purplesquirrel]

I am incubating 3 duck eggs, 2 look normal and 1 looks like this.
They are 21 days old, and all 3 are twitching and moving about gently.

A strange clear gap has appeared on the side of the egg, next to the air pocket.
It is moving gently and responds to the light when candled, but I don't think it's looking good.
The egg looks perfectly normal, even thickness all over and has a good sized air pocket.


Does anyone know what this means? Lack of development? Suffocation? Horribly disfigured? Still born?

The gap itself, which should be covered with little veins, probably takes up about 1/4 of the egg.

 

[ducksinarow]

You are so close to hatching I would just wait and see what happens. The worst thing is that it could die. It might just be very tiny. I hope for the best with this little guy.

 

[Miss Lydia]

You are so close to hatching I would just wait and see what happens. The worst thing is that it could die. It might just be very tiny. I hope for the best with this little guy.

X2

 

[purplesquirrel]

thanks guys I will treat him all the same even if he looks like Igor, ha!
x

 

[Miss Lydia]

thanks guys I will treat him all the same even if he looks like Igor, ha!
x

When is hatch day? please keep updating especially when hatch starts always exciting.

 

[purplesquirrel]

Hatch day is late Friday I think
I can't wait to see them fluff up and introducing them to their first swim in the sink, I think I might die ha
One of the eggs is actually a bit larger than the others and slightly longer. I know it's advised not to use any that are abnormal looking but that's all the farm had (I was actually at the farm for more chicken eggs, and when they didn't have any they said 'urrr we've got some duck eggs?..' and I just thought, yeh why not, I think ducks are brilliant.)
I thought at first it might be a double yolker, and my housemate said 'twins!' and then I was worried because I thought both always died, but apparently not.
The whole egg seems rather full and there's a lot of movement, I am wondering if there is twins, or it's just going to be one massive duckling, will probably turn into a right little brute!
I couldn't actually figure out how to adjust my incubator to a higher humidity (than for chickens) so I just drip warm water over the eggs every couple of days to simulate a wet mum getting back on them, seems to be working so far.

I only just managed to convince my landlord to let me have chickens (the chickens were 4 weeks old by the time I told him) and so I'm just going to act surprised if he asks me why there are ducks in the garden, that's the plan anyway...

I'll try and upload some candling photos, I'm getting quite good at producing clear ones.
And of course, some birthday photos.

So exciting, so so addictive making little lives. I'm 25 and I can already tell I'm going to become the crazy chicken and duck lady

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hatch day is late Friday I think
I can't wait to see them fluff up and introducing them to their first swim in the sink, I think I might die ha
One of the eggs is actually a bit larger than the others and slightly longer. I know it's advised not to use any that are abnormal looking but that's all the farm had (I was actually at the farm for more chicken eggs, and when they didn't have any they said 'urrr we've got some duck eggs?..' and I just thought, yeh why not, I think ducks are brilliant.)
I thought at first it might be a double yolker, and my housemate said 'twins!' and then I was worried because I thought both always died, but apparently not.
The whole egg seems rather full and there's a lot of movement, I am wondering if there is twins, or it's just going to be one massive duckling, will probably turn into a right little brute!
I couldn't actually figure out how to adjust my incubator to a higher humidity (than for chickens) so I just drip warm water over the eggs every couple of days to simulate a wet mum getting back on them, seems to be working so far.

I only just managed to convince my landlord to let me have chickens (the chickens were 4 weeks old by the time I told him) and so I'm just going to act surprised if he asks me why there are ducks in the garden, that's the plan anyway...

I'll try and upload some candling photos, I'm getting quite good at producing clear ones.
And of course, some birthday photos.

So exciting, so so addictive making little lives. I'm 25 and I can already tell I'm going to become the crazy chicken and duck lady

I hope it all works out and if there is movement then hopefully the lil one is okay. I really don't think twin ducklings make it from all I've read. I did see on ytube 2 chicks hatch from same egg. that was cool. I also hope your land lord will let you have them ,what if he doesn't/ do you know of anyone who would be willing to give them a home? please Never dump them at ponds or lakes or rivers. Do you know what breed? and did they have geese too? lol

 

[purplesquirrel]

Never! I will never up my little ducklings! My chickens are 13 weeks old now and looking fantastic, I'm dangerously good at sweet talking my landlord into things he doesn't like, like animals
The ducks on the farm hang out in a massive purpose built pond, there must be about 30 of them they look a mixture of indian runner, magpie, mallard and god knows what else, they all have brilliant markings though.
One of my eggs is totally full and it extremely hard to see inside. When this happened with one of my chicken eggs, I panicked and thought it was dead, but turns out I couldn't see anything because the chick was black, I think one of my ducklings is either black or dark brown, I can just about see him twitching.

 

[purplesquirrel]

They have one male Muscovy, which I've always wanted...but I read that muscovies x ducks create 'mule' ducks who can't reproduce, which would be rubbish.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Never! I will never up my little ducklings! My chickens are 13 weeks old now and looking fantastic, I'm dangerously good at sweet talking my landlord into things he doesn't like, like animals
The ducks on the farm hang out in a massive purpose built pond, there must be about 30 of them they look a mixture of indian runner, magpie, mallard and god knows what else, they all have brilliant markings though.
One of my eggs is totally full and it extremely hard to see inside. When this happened with one of my chicken eggs, I panicked and thought it was dead, but turns out I couldn't see anything because the chick was black, I think one of my ducklings is either black or dark brown, I can just about see him twitching.

By hatch time they pretty much fill up the egg. I thought one of mine was dead too when I first saw the blk but it was duckling. Look forward to seeing your ducklings, mixes come out in so many beautiful colors too. What breed are your chickens? did you build a coop?