Not fertile yet?

[Horsefly]

I have 4 pekins and have been really wanting to hatch some eggs from them. 2 are alittle over a year old ducks and the other two are 1 duck 1 drake and are aprox. 20 wks/5 months old. They all hang out together and have a very large deep pond to play in. I have not seen any mating going on but have seen the girls flatten out in the water and my neighbor told me she saw them on top each other. One duck (I'm guessing an older one) started laying 2 weeks ago and I put her first 8 eggs in the incubator. So far I candled them and they are all still just a yolk, so I assume infertile? It's been 6 days so should I toss them? I know the first few eggs might not be fertile but when will they start being fertile? Is my drake just to young still? I have been collecting and egg a day and saving them to put in the incubator as a batch when I get enough. Should I just not bother and eat them? I was hoping for an Easter hatch but I guess that's not going to happen now

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[heathersboers]

I'd give them another day or so in the bator just to be sure. Sometimes it takes about 8-9 days to see formation. I know mine did.

 

[duckyfromoz]

You only have the one drake 20 weeks old - and the others are female? ( just checking to make sure I read it right... ) He is young- and although they do plenty of "practicing" he may need a little more time to learn how to do the job right. I have seen young boys trying to mate from as young as 14 weeks - well before a female would be laying- but they do take a while to get the hang of things.

 

[Horsefly]

I have the 1 young drake and 3 ducks 2 of them being older. How long before you think some of the eggs will be fertile, the drake even has his drake feathers in.

 

[Horsefly]

Well I have thrown out that batch of eggs as infertile. They looked the same this week as they has the weeks before. I cracked open a few fresh eggs resently and I believe 1 out of the 3 I cracked was fertile. I have some chicken eggs in the bator now due next friday but once those hatch I am starting to collect my duck eggs again and will see if I have better luck this time.