incubation question

[duck15]

is it normal at day 9 of incubation that the embryo moves while candling it?

 

[duckyfromoz]

At first around day 4- 5 you can see the heart beat- and by day nine you should see a darker blob that moves from side to side a little- it is completely normal. Wait a few more days and they move even more!! I sometimes wonder how they dont become completely entangled in all the veins with the amount that they move.

 

[duck15]

Thanks its so awesome!!! im so excited to hatch it

 

[Ilovemyduckies]

Yes, they do move A LOT. I'm on day 11 today and they are wiggling around their whole egg almost! It is so fascinating to watch. And yes, they will move even more as they get bigger (until the entire egg goes black and you can't see anything ;D)

 

[ChristineR]

This is my first duck hatching experience (or any other hatching, for that matter). It's so cool watching them wiggle around. The first time I saw it I thought I was just imagining that it was actually moving.

 

[duck15]

when it moves does it mean there is a chick already? oh this is my first time too

 

[nurse_turtle]

I candled at day 4 and could see the tee-tiny heart beating.

 

[Squawkbox]

Well yes, it doesn't really look like one at that point though.

ETA I had a few quitters at day 9, and cracked the egg and took pictures of it, it was very neat to see. There's the beak and everything, and tiny wings.

when it moves does it mean there is a chick already? oh this is my first time too

 

[duck15]

what do you mean few quitters? how did you know they quited

 

[Squawkbox]

Well, they just died for whatever reason, a quitter.
I could tell as, when you candle the egg it is darkly shaded red with all the veins etc, with my quitters, the egg when candled had no more veins, and was not a dark red shade, more brightly lit than when it was alive. The embryo itself was a very dark blob (obviously not moving) and if you rotated the egg, the whole contents would move with it and "slosh around".

I have a pic here.. see how it is a dark mass with no veins.