Newbie candling question

[av8scuba]

First of all, this is my first time at trying to hatch eggs. And these are Mallard ducks, not chickens, but I couldn't find anywhere else to ask.

I've got 6 eggs from our young Mallard pair. I've had them in the incubator for 7 days. I candled them at 4 days and 1 definitely had the spider veins near the top of the egg. I just candled it again at day 7 and I don't see any of the spiders and the egg appears to be very dark or cloudy throughout.

Do you think something has happened to it, or is that normal to see at day 7?

Thanks for any help!

 

[Poison Ivy]

I found these candling pictures earlier they are of chickens but it still show how they develop. Its 21 days of incubating photos so you can see the chick starts to get pretty big making the egg dark inside. Yours should be fine but I've never candled duck eggs so someone that has will give you more info.

 

[av8scuba]

Thanks much! I will still hold onto hope for a few more days to see if I can see any other changes.

 

[silkiechicken]

I'd not candle them so much as that will decrease humidity quite a bit. Just let them be and they should be fine. They take a week longer than chicks but will go though similar developmental changes. What you are seeing is probally fine. I bet if you had a really high powered lamp you'd get to see veins. Good luck!

 

[Davaroo]

Im going to break with tradtion here, so I ask that you please dont get offended at what Im about to say.

DO NOT candle at all. Leave the eggs alone, especially in the first 10 days. During this phase of the hatch, the eggs are a their most fragile and handling is not recommended.

I have seen eggs that looked like duds only to break open what I thought were "clears." Thats when I find and embryo, staring up at me and now dying without its life giving egg...
You hear all this talk of candling constantly and culling duds and all that guff. I say, do not assume anything, just because you dont see what you THINK you should see. Your inexperience has ill prepared you to make life or death decisions.

Besides, you have set the wheels in motion and there is little you can do about the results. What will be, will be. Keep things as they should be in the bator and keep your patience.

 

[silkiechicken]

Quote:
Very true. If you really really really want something to hatch... candle once at like day 14 to toss any clears, then step away from the bator! Well... if it starts smelling like egg... then you candle too... but other than that, let them be. Once you get a few hatches down, then start messing with the eggs.

 

[CtlisencedArborist]

Those pics are Rad!

 

[av8scuba]

Quote:
Thanks for the advice. Like I said, I am new to trying to hatch these buggers. One more question.....since I don't have an automatic turner, should I still turn them every 4-6 hours, or just leave them 100% alone until later?

 

[silkiechicken]

By all means, do turn them 3x a day till day 18. Just avoid excessive opening.

 

[dhansen]

Sweet pictures! It sure is fun when I can turn this into a science lesson for my daughter. Thanks!