Incubating wild mallard egg questions/concerns

[Farmer In Training]

Just looked it up.. they should hatch on about day 30 so this is good

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Just looked it up.. they should hatch on about day 30 so this is good

Domestic mallards hatch on about day 26, other mallard based breeds like Perkins etc on day 28. Muscovies are later. I’d expect your wild mallards to hatch on about day 26, like the domestic mallards. However, since you don’t really know when Day 0 started, I’d give it at least another week.

 

[ducklady1010]

Sorry I just read your post again and understand better. So, the light is going through the narrow end of the egg, the air cell is on top? Pictures with the light through the air cell might be better, but I would honestly just keep incubating them for another week and see what happens... Does your third egg look better?

I did candle from top--wide part too. Air sac looked good and then the red. It was only as I moved flashlight around that I realized the bottom was not fully red but yellow. The 3rd egg is completely red with slanted air sac on top which I think looks like 21+ days.

 

[ducklady1010]

Domestic mallards hatch on about day 26, other mallard based breeds like Perkins etc on day 28. Muscovies are later. I’d expect your wild mallards to hatch on about day 26, like the domestic mallards. However, since you don’t really know when Day 0 started, I’d give it at least another week.

I have these eggs in an automatic turner incubator..........do you think I can stop the turning when I "guess" at 23 days? That is only 2 days away...raise humidity...and pray! Or should I keep turning?

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I have these eggs in an automatic turner incubator..........do you think I can stop the turning when I "guess" at 23 days? That is only 2 days away...raise humidity...and pray! Or should I keep turning?

Turning is less necessary towards the end of incubation. I think that if you suspect one egg is more developed because it is taking up all available space, you could go ahead and remove your turner.

 

[ducklady1010]

Turning is less necessary towards the end of incubation. I think that if you suspect one egg is more developed because it is taking up all available space, you could go ahead and remove your turner.

Thank you for your expert opinion.