Muscovy egg?

[lauralou]

I found an egg in the duckhouse today. My first thought was that it was a chicken egg. The chickens do have access to the duckhouse. But when I picked it up, it felt lighter than a chicken egg of similar size. It was roundish and sorta white, but hard to tell, because it was smeared with our wretched red mud.

Could it possibly be a duck egg? I have a female muscovy, but she hasn't laid yet. That I know of, anyway.

And I've never even seen a muscovy egg. I didn't notice any waxy texture to it, but again, it's been raining all day, and the egg was muddy.

Can anyone give me any info or pictures of muscovy eggs?

 

[streemers]

a duck egg is bigger most the time and heavier. keep and eye out it could be a duck egg

 

[poultrykeeper08]

Duck eggs have a glossy look and feeling to them and would have an offwhiite,gray/green look

 

[sandspoultry]

Quote:
I agree Muscovy eggs feel almost silky, very smooth and after the first few "pullet" eggs they are large. about half again larger or double the size of a chicken egg.

Steve in NC

 

[lauralou]

I cleaned it off, and I am thinking it is a duck egg. It seems smoother in texture than the chicken eggs, almost slick. And the color is all wrong for a chicken egg too. It's not the pure white of my Andalusian eggs, but is way lighter than my lightest brown egg. It's off-white.

So, now I have a couple more questions.

Is it true that ducks tend to lay in the mornings? I ask because the weather was so terrible this morning, with freezing rain, that I let them out later than usual. I didn't check the nestbox then, because honestly, I never in a million years expected that she would lay where she was supposed to lay... And now I'm thinking that maybe I should continue to let the ducks out later, to encourage her to lay in her nestbox.

And, how do you tell if a duck egg is fertile? Is it the same as with chicken eggs? Is there a bullseye on the yolk of a fertile duck egg? I haven't seen the drake mating her yet, but that doesn't mean it isn't happening.

Thanks in advance!

 

[sandspoultry]

Quote:
Our runners lay very early in the morning, the muscovies lay all day long. The "bullseye" is the same on a duck egg but it's not as clear cut as a chicken egg. The chicken has a sharp dot and ring the ducks not as much so.

Steve in NC

 

[AhBee01]

A duck egg shell is way harder than a chicken egg. I think my duck eggs have a lighter yolk then my chickens, more yellow than orange.

 

[lauralou]

Thanks you guys!

I'll crack the egg this morning when I make breakfast. I'll let you know what I find!

 

[lauralou]

Well, I cracked the egg. It was no harder to crack than a chicken egg. So maybe it was just an Andalusian egg that got stained by our rusty dirt. That would explain the off color.

And there was no hint of a bullseye. I don't have a rooster, so my chicken eggs never have a bullseye.

Probably just wishful thinking that it was a duck egg. Oh well...