Please Help, my duck eggs are turning black on the INSIDE!!!

[LittlePsycho]

I have been looking around desperately for an answer, but everything I find is on the eggs being visibly discolored on the outside. I candled my call duck eggs and I noticed that two of them have a black mass in the center where it looks like the embryo should be. To me, it doesn't look healthy, but I'm no expert, right? I have successfully hatched call ducks in the past, so I do not know what the problem is this time. I only have four out of 14 eggs developing anything at all and these two, like I said, have funny insides and the other two may have blood rings (a little hard to tell with the blood ring issue. As far as the black spots are concerned, there ARE veins in the egg and everything, its just this black mass where the embryo or heart should be. One of them with the black mass is really wiggly in the area around the mass like its more liquid than it should be. I know its early to know just a whole lot about the eggs (they are at about day 9 of incubation), but I'm worried sick. Are the eggs dead and should I take them out? Am I just being anxious and over worried? Please help as soon as possible, I really want to hatch as many as I can....

 

[Tricoglossus]

When you candle the eggs which contain the odd black discolourations, is there any signs of life - eg a moving embryo? When you say it's wiggly, is that because you are moving the egg or is it moving on its own? It might be best if you leave them in the incubator for another few days and check them again to see if the embryos have grown.

 

[LittlePsycho]

The only signs of life I can see are veins in the egg. As far as I can tell, it is just really wiggly when I move it (and I'm not shaking it around or anything). I haven't messed with them, aside from the daily turning times, since I found out, and I plan to candle them again at the end of the week.

 

[ManyBirds3]

I will admit That I am not a duck egg expert at all although I do own a duck, he is a single male mallard. anyway, from EVERYTHING IVE READ the red blood ring means the embryo isn't alive anymore. But again this is only Frm what I have read and seen in photos Frm experts. The veins in the other eggs is a great sign tho! (May I ask why you only have 4 out of the 14? Just curious. =] And yes I agree a bit more info is needed about the black mass: does it ever move in the egg at all? And the veins are obvious and looking good?
-Rachel (duck owner and breeder of pidgeons/know a bit about some eggs things! NOT AN EGGspert though! I'm new at this too! But I'm glad u posted. Keep us posted with answers if u can and I wish u all the good luck n love for the egg babies in the world!)

 

[LittlePsycho]

I took some pictures, and they're not the greatest, but its something. The one looks dead, but I'm not so sure on the other one.



The veins aren't really hidden (at least in the first picture), but they aren't jumping out at you either. I never see it moving in the egg unless I tilt the egg or something like that, but none of my eggs are moving. At least not yet. As to why there are only 4 out of 14 doing anything, I have no idea. I've done everything the same as the last time I hatched and its just not working out as well. Just had a little bad luck with the egg choices, I suppose. The other ten eggs never even started developing so I assume they weren't fertilized.

 

[Tricoglossus]

Yeah they don't look too hot do they. But you may as well leave them for a few more days and then check again. Where are you located? If you're coming into autumn then you are at the end of the breeding season and for some flocks fertility can plummet towards the end of the breeding season, leaving you with non fertile or non viable eggs.

 

[LittlePsycho]

Yeah, I'm in Virginia and the eggs are from New Jersey. I guess I'll just leave them alone and see what happens.

 

[smbanks80]

I have been looking around desperately for an answer, but everything I find is on the eggs being visibly discolored on the outside. I candled my call duck eggs and I noticed that two of them have a black mass in the center where it looks like the embryo should be. To me, it doesn't look healthy, but I'm no expert, right? I have successfully hatched call ducks in the past, so I do not know what the problem is this time. I only have four out of 14 eggs developing anything at all and these two, like I said, have funny insides and the other two may have blood rings (a little hard to tell with the blood ring issue. As far as the black spots are concerned, there ARE veins in the egg and everything, its just this black mass where the embryo or heart should be. One of them with the black mass is really wiggly in the area around the mass like its more liquid than it should be. I know its early to know just a whole lot about the eggs (they are at about day 9 of incubation), but I'm worried sick. Are the eggs dead and should I take them out? Am I just being anxious and over worried? Please help as soon as possible, I really want to hatch as many as I can....

Hello, I know you posted this back in 2014, but I'm just wondering how things worked out with your eggs. I'm having the same problem. I don't want to give up on the eggs if there are babies inside, but I don't want to waste any more time caring for dead eggs. Here's a pic of one a few of our duck eggs that have a large black mass inside. Your thoughts/comments would be very much appreciated.

Thanks you so much!
- Stacie

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[smbanks80]

I have been looking around desperately for an answer, but everything I find is on the eggs being visibly discolored on the outside. I candled my call duck eggs and I noticed that two of them have a black mass in the center where it looks like the embryo should be. To me, it doesn't look healthy, but I'm no expert, right? I have successfully hatched call ducks in the past, so I do not know what the problem is this time. I only have four out of 14 eggs developing anything at all and these two, like I said, have funny insides and the other two may have blood rings (a little hard to tell with the blood ring issue. As far as the black spots are concerned, there ARE veins in the egg and everything, its just this black mass where the embryo or heart should be. One of them with the black mass is really wiggly in the area around the mass like its more liquid than it should be. I know its early to know just a whole lot about the eggs (they are at about day 9 of incubation), but I'm worried sick. Are the eggs dead and should I take them out? Am I just being anxious and over worried? Please help as soon as possible, I really want to hatch as many as I can....

Hello, I know you posted this back in 2014, but I'm just wondering how things worked out with your eggs. I'm having the same problem. I don't want to give up on the eggs if there are babies inside, but I don't want to waste any more time caring for dead eggs. Here's are some pics of a few of our Peking duck eggs that have a large black mass inside. I'd very much appreciate any advice you may have. Thank you very much!- Stacie

 

[nuthatched]

Hello, I know you posted this back in 2014, but I'm just wondering how things worked out with your eggs. I'm having the same problem. I don't want to give up on the eggs if there are babies inside, but I don't want to waste any more time caring for dead eggs. Here's are some pics of a few of our Peking duck eggs that have a large black mass inside. I'd very much appreciate any advice you may have. Thank you very much!- Stacie

They don't look good to me. What day are they on?