Is this egg fertile???

[lucysducks11]

Someone PLEASE HELP I ordered 6 Mallard duck eggs, candled them this morning to check fertility and only one had a blastoderm visible. The edges are from the same Hen so I am unsure if they would all develop at a different rate? I'm including a picture of the egg that appears to be fertile and hopefully someone will weigh in. This is my 1st time to incubate a hatchling.

 

[sumi]

It's hard to tell tell, but it may be. How long have you been incubating it now? I usually wait a week before I candle and by then can see clear blood vessels, which is my preferred indication of development.

 

[lucysducks11]

I'm only on day 4 of incubation. Normally I would not even candle this early but I got the eggs off eBay from a sketchy seller. So I candled all of them and none were fertile as far as I can tell. This egg was my last hope.

 

[sumi]

Wait until day 7 and candle them all again. It's very hard to tell for sure before then. Fingers crossed!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Eggs will develop at approximately the same rate because they don't start until they are incubated. I know ducks hatch later than chickens.

After the suggested 7 day waiting period you can crack it open to check fertility. It's my understanding that it's a lot more vague with less definition if it isn't fertilized. But the whole candling thing is new to me, as well as incubating.

Thing is, shipping can change things as well as how you handled them before setting. If this is your first time hatching, have you checked calibration on your incubator?

Personally, don't prefer EBAY. Bought brakes and the SELLER sent the wrong product and I had to pay return shipping. Not gonna do that again where I have to make up for the sellers' mistake.

Plus many of them may not know or care if there are laws regarding shipping of eggs and I prefer to be safe.

Best wishes for a nice hatch!

 

[lucysducks11]

I decided to crack one of the eggs open to see if I saw anything on the yolk and this one has a white circle on the yolk? Google has no answers for me as to what this is so maybe you guys can help. I don't believe this was a fertile egg but I don't know anymore..the white ring is throwing me off

 

[sumi]

On day 4 there should be some blood vessels and a clear start of an embryo. This example is from chicken eggs, but should give you an idea:

 

[sumi]

Here is a duck egg (Mallard) embryo development chart from wildliferehabber.com

 

[lucysducks11]

I have researched so much here lately my heads about to explode with information I still don't know as of today is the eggs are good, if the egg I cracked open was fertile, I guess I will just play it by ear , I can't bring myself to stop incubation yet despite my gut saying to

 

[DwayneNLiz]

dont give up!!!
we are here to help you!!!

what incubator are you using?
what is your temp/humidity at?
did you calibrate your hygrometer and thermometer?

I do think the one you cracked open was fertile, esp with a duck egg they grow slower