Is the Duck egg Moldy? Please help!

[Rybread]

Hi, I found a Mallard duck egg its been in a homemade incubator for about 27 days. Ive been candling it and it has had no signs of vains but we kept it just in case. Today it has a crack down the middle and the shell is light blue/green. It has a faint smell and when candling it it looks dark and no movement. Do you think it never was fertile and has been molding? Please help.

 

[SilverBirds]

Sounds like it died very early on or was infertile and is not rotten. I'd very carefully chuck it as far away from the house as possible.

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

I agree with silver, throw it out, it either died early on or was infertile. Be careful as it could explode when you handle it and that would be gross

 

[BelovedBirds]

Hi, I found a Mallard duck egg its been in a homemade incubator for about 27 days. Ive been candling it and it has had no signs of vains but we kept it just in case. Today it has a crack down the middle and the shell is light blue/green. It has a faint smell and when candling it it looks dark and no movement. Do you think it never was fertile and has been molding? Please help.

It has almost certainly quit. No movement or veins is suspicious, bad smell? Thats a big warning that the egg is rotten. A crack down the side? That sounds like the egg could be exploding.
You've held onto it for a long time just in case, so if you want to be certain, you can post a photo of the egg being candled, but personally I would NOT want to handle it. Rotten eggs can explode and it would not be pleasant. I'd scoop it up in a plastic bag (not touching it), and then toss it in the bin, or dump it out away from the house.

In future, please be aware that mallards are usually protected by law, and that taking eggs is an offence. If you find a hatching egg in distress, or a duckling, youd need to contact a wildlife rescue.
Its very likely that this egg quit very early on, and that the mother hen, knowing this, discarded it from the nest.

 

[Rybread]

It has almost certainly quit. No movement or veins is suspicious, bad smell? Thats a big warning that the egg is rotten. A crack down the side? That sounds like the egg could be exploding.
You've held onto it for a long time just in case, so if you want to be certain, you can post a photo of the egg being candled, but personally I would NOT want to handle it. Rotten eggs can explode and it would not be pleasant. I'd scoop it up in a plastic bag (not touching it), and then toss it in the bin, or dump it out away from the house.

In future, please be aware that mallards are usually protected by law, and that taking eggs is an offence. If you find a hatching egg in distress, or a duckling, youd need to contact a wildlife rescue.
Its very likely that this egg quit very early on, and that the mother hen, knowing this, discarded it from the nest.

Ok thank you so much! Im not actually sure if its a mallard but we have ducks at our house a lot. A mother and a bunch of others, she layed it on our path outfront and all of them left it and ignored it.

 

[BelovedBirds]

Ok thank you so much! Im not actually sure if its a mallard but we have ducks at our house a lot. A mother and a bunch of others, she layed it on our path outfront and all of them left it and ignored it.

that's interesting... Do the ducks all look the same, same size and colour?

 

[Rybread]

that's interesting... Do the ducks all look the same, same size and colour?

No they aren’t I do know the ducks here aren’t protected. But I haven’t seen the pregnant female for a bit so I wonder if she had more eggs in a nest and has been siting on them.

 

[BelovedBirds]

No they aren’t I do know the ducks here aren’t protected. But I haven’t seen the pregnant female for a bit so I wonder if she had more eggs in a nest and has been siting on them.

I'm quite interested now. Its not the best time of year to be brooding, and if she were I expect she wouldve been more careful about where she laid that egg, rather than just leaving them wherever. It doesnt really matter, but do the ducks look like this, muscovies, perhaps different patterns and colours? Mallards are all pretty identical, aside from male and female colour differences.

 

[Rybread]

I'm quite interested now. Its not the best time of year to be brooding, and if she were I expect she wouldve been more careful about where she laid that egg, rather than just leaving them wherever. It doesnt really matter, but do the ducks look like this, muscovies, perhaps different patterns and colours? Mallards are all pretty identical, aside from male and female colour differences.

Yes im sorry i remember Muscovies are the ones i have down here!
( mixed up the m names )