My Love Affair With Ducks...

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I am very curious how duck eggs are incubated either by the duck or in an incubator. Most of the time my ducks’ eggs are so freaking nasty. Usually if the eggs are laid in a ‘nest’ they aren’t too bad, but in the event an egg is dropped around the nasty water bucket (as mentioned in the prior post) or in a big pile of poo — gross. Surely though, those eggs wouldn’t be drawn over into a nest by the hormonal duck. But, NONE of my duck eggs are nearly as clean as my chicken eggs.

Most all of my duck eggs have gotten wet at some point or another as they’ve been laid. Doesn’t that wash the bloom off, thus leaving them susceptible to infection and such? I don’t plan on incubating duck eggs, but I have wondered.

I don't know if broody ducks clean the eggs on which they are sitting or if they pay more care when laying those eggs, but the two times a broody duck has hatched ducklings the eggs were squeaky clean. Also there was no poop in the nest nor around, again i don't know if momma has cleaned up or if she just held it in 'til the break.
For incubating eggs - i had a couple of neighbors asking for viable eggs, i took the cleanest eggs i could find and rubbed off any gunk with the wife's toothbrush. (Just kidding! She would have killed me…)

 

[shawluvsbirds]

I don't know if broody ducks clean the eggs on which they are sitting or if they pay more care when laying those eggs, but the two times a broody duck has hatched ducklings the eggs were squeaky clean. Also there was no poop in the nest nor around, again i don't know if momma has cleaned up or if she just held it in 'til the break.
For incubating eggs - i had a couple of neighbors asking for viable eggs, i took the cleanest eggs i could find and rubbed off any gunk with the wife's toothbrush. (Just kidding! She would have killed me…)

Well I don't see any way ducks are cleaning their eggs.
from what I have observed it looks to me like when a duck is wanting to be broody she just does a better job of burying her eggs and not going poo on them.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Well I don't see any way ducks are cleaning their eggs.
from what I have observed it looks to me like when a duck is wanting to be broody she just does a better job of burying her eggs and not going poo on them.

Maybe with their damp feathers?

 

[Mimi13]

if you've ever taken a duck egg in and washed it they seem to have a pretty thick bloom.
As far as eating eggs go I usually dispose of anything that's got a lot of poo on it. If it's just a little bit I'll wash it off.
I think it's actually good for a broody duck to be able to go for a swim every day, I think the moisture left on her feathers when she goes back to the nest provides the right balance of heat and humidity needed for the eggs too lose the amount of moisture they need to to develop properly.

I’ve wondered about all the water that ducks would bring back to their nest.

 

[Mimi13]

Ok, Fake Eilleen, do not read this, you have heard it so many times you can recite it.

Never ever put a dirty egg into a sterile incubator.

ever!

Bloom is not required or desired on an egg in an incubator.

I thought like 90% of you do, but I was wrong, my only time in history.

The USDA vet required I disinfect the eggs for NPIP certification. She said just try it and see if made a difference. I did it does, for the better.

No more smelly incubator, better hatch rate.

The instructions she gave me was 1 ounce of chlorine bleach to 1 gallon of water. 120 degree water. Then do it a second time.

She said, “why would you clean and sterilize an incubator then bring dirty filthy germ covered eggs into it”.


Think about it, if the incubator is sterile and the eggs are sterile there is no bacteria that can hurt the embryos.

Eggs need to reach an internal temp of 117 degrees to kill off the chick before incubation starts. Once development starts we all know 101.5 will kill them.

So disinfect those eggs and raise more terrorists.

Now remember I’ve only ever incubated chicks and I have always chosen only the cleanest eggs for the bator. I suppose the bloom is really only needed for the “waiting period” when a hen is laying until she has her clutch.

When the inspectors were here testing for my NPIP certification, not once did they say anything about cleaning the eggs before setting them. Strange one state would and one wouldn’t.

 

[duluthralphie]

Now remember I’ve only ever incubated chicks and I have always chosen only the cleanest eggs for the bator. I suppose the bloom is really only needed for the “waiting period” when a hen is laying until she has her clutch.

When the inspectors were here testing for my NPIP certification, not once did they say anything about cleaning the eggs before setting them. Strange one state would and one wouldn’t.

I had a USDA vet not a state one do my inspections. I test my own birds.

I am guessing your inspector was just amiss, or a Southie.

 

[Mimi13]

I don't know if broody ducks clean the eggs on which they are sitting or if they pay more care when laying those eggs, but the two times a broody duck has hatched ducklings the eggs were squeaky clean. Also there was no poop in the nest nor around, again i don't know if momma has cleaned up or if she just held it in 'til the break.
For incubating eggs - i had a couple of neighbors asking for viable eggs, i took the cleanest eggs i could find and rubbed off any gunk with the wife's toothbrush. (Just kidding! She would have killed me…)

I find it so hard to believe that a broody duck would hold her poop while on the nest. They sure as heck can’t hold it any other time. And just so you know, broody poop (from a chicken) is the biggest and the stinkiest poop ever!

I guess the squeaky clean comes from the duck washing the eggs with the water from her feathers.

 

[Mimi13]

I had a USDA vet not a state one do my inspections. I test my own birds.

I am guessing your inspector was just amiss, or a Southie.

Southie through and through. Tall, nice looking fella and his very beautiful wife.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I find it so hard to believe that a broody duck would hold her poop while on the nest. They sure as heck can’t hold it any other time. And just so you know, broody poop (from a chicken) is the biggest and the stinkiest poop ever!

I guess the squeaky clean comes from the duck washing the eggs with the water from her feathers.

Oh believe me: I know all too well what a broody duck's poop looks and stinks like! I had two broody ducks, one in 2019 and one in 2020 and with both i was sure they would die right in front of my eyes because they had just pooped out all their interior.
The ducks did not die, but dozens of songbirds dropped dead out of the sky and you could hear the earthworms suffering in pain…
And that was from two light ducks, a F&W Runner and a Black Swedish, i don't know what would happen if Blanca Duck ever goes broody!

 

[shawluvsbirds]

I find it so hard to believe that a broody duck would hold her poop while on the nest. They sure as heck can’t hold it any other time. And just so you know, broody poop (from a chicken) is the biggest and the stinkiest poop ever!

I guess the squeaky clean comes from the duck washing the eggs with the water from her feathers.

Oh just wait until you experience a broody dux poo!!
I don't think anything could compare. They hold it. Believe me.