Mallard duck embryo found in my duck pen?!

[Hannah1460]

Hi everyone, I have been using BYC (w/o an official account) for a while now and I have found it to be so helpful with raising my x4 rescue mallard ducklings. However, today is the day I decided to officially register with BYC as I have encountered something that has left me very confused. This afternoon, while cleaning the duck pen, I found what looked to be an embryo (I can only assume a duck embyro, as I have no idea what else it could be) with no sign of an egg. In addition, my ducklings are only 5 weeks old so I have absolutely no idea how one of them could have produced this given they are too young to mate and without any sign of an egg. They are still too young to sex, however I suspect x2 are male and x2 are female. Please help as I am super confused.

If I had to assume, the embryo looks as though it is in day 7/8 of fertilization. I have attached a photo.

Thanks,
Hannah

 

[mangotangolango]

I think it is a baby bird

 

[H-B-O]

Hi everyone, I have been using BYC (w/o an official account) for a while now and I have found it to be so helpful with raising my x4 rescue mallard ducklings. However, today is the day I decided to officially register with BYC as I have encountered something that has left me very confused. This afternoon, while cleaning the duck pen, I found what looked to be an embryo (I can only assume a duck embyro, as I have no idea what else it could be) with no sign of an egg. In addition, my ducklings are only 5 weeks old so I have absolutely no idea how one of them could have produced this given they are too young to mate and without any sign of an egg. They are still too young to sex, however I suspect x2 are male and x2 are female. Please help as I am super confused.

If I had to assume, the embryo looks as though it is in day 7/8 of fertilization. I have attached a photo.

View attachment 2677570

Thanks,
Hannah

That is not a duck. That looks like a newly hatched baby bird...

 

[mangotangolango]

That is not a duck. That looks like a newly hatched baby bird...

I agree
If you look closely it has a beak and tufts of feathers on it's head presumably a newborn baby bird

 

[therandomhatcher]

x2

 

[Hannah1460]

That's so sad. But I'm kind of relieved it isn't what I thought. I have just checked the tree that hangs over the pen, but I can't seem to see a birds nest. Well, I suppose that is a mystery half solved. Thanks for your help

 

[Chicalina]

could have fallen out of a nest, or been dropped by a crow or hawk carrying it.

 

[VirginiaFarmerGirl]

Blue Jays, crows, and magpies all eat eggs and young birds they may have dropped it and one of your ducks carried it In your pen. That’s my guess anyway. It would not be the first time it’s happened. I’ve studied wild birds for years and it is very common for the egg thief to eat they egg and carry off the embryo if the parent see the will attack it and the embryo is very likely to be dropped and forgotten. It is very sad but I am glad it was not your ducks! And because it’s just an embryo you should not have to worry about any diseases being spread by it.

 

[Chicalina]

It looks more like a newly hatched chick, not an embryo at all. Wild birds tend to hatch bald and blind, not like chickens and ducks who pop out ready to take on the world!

Some bird species hatch 2 eggs even though the nest will only hold one growing chick. The second hatches a day or two later and is basically an insurance policy in case the first one doesn't hatch or dies during the process. Often the older chick kicks out the younger one.

Also, cuckoo chicks do this to their host siblings.

Crows often take baby birds from other species nests, fly off and sometimes drop it as the parents try to chase it. I have found baby starlings in those circumstances, and sometimes eggs.

 

[VirginiaFarmerGirl]

It looks more like a newly hatched chick, not an embryo at all. Wild birds tend to hatch bald and blind, not like chickens and ducks who pop out ready to take on the world!

Some bird species hatch 2 eggs even though the nest will only hold one growing chick. The second hatches a day or two later and is basically an insurance policy in case the first one doesn't hatch or dies during the process. Often the older chick kicks out the younger one.

Also, cuckoo chicks do this to their host siblings.

Crows often take baby birds from other species nests, fly off and sometimes drop it as the parents try to chase it. I have found baby starlings in those circumstances, and sometimes eggs.

Oh I didn’t see the picture (not sure how ) I agree with you it also looks like it’s missing a leg