question about wild duck eggs/mama

[supermommy]

my husband is a maint. Tech at an apartment complex, they are right on a stream that seems to run forever. About 2 weeks ago hubby came home and told me about a nest with a mama duck on it. Well a few days later he saw mama and her babies in the water, she had 13 of them little ones

Inside her nest he said was still 5 eggs. I told him to leave them alone, not knowing whether she would come back to them or not..Fast foward to the other day, he said they were still there so I joined him at work because I was curiouse to see what mallard eggs looked like since we have 3(not wild though) He ended up cracking one open gently and sure enough there was a baby duck in there. REALLY tiny but all formed and not alive. So anyway my question is what made these 5 not hatch? We didnt open anymore because that one just broke my heart!!

I wonder what caused them to not make it but be that far along in the developing stage. Also the other eggs are still there and this is a nest they seem to use year after year, should the eggs be removed and discarded?

Thanks for reading that long post...lol!!!

 

[RavenStorm]

There are all sorts of reasons why an incubated egg (both natural and human-helped) can develop and then just suddenly die.

-Genetic defect that causes spontaneous death to weed out the weak of a spieces

-That egg/those eggs may not have been turned correctly, kept at the right humidity, got too cool for too long etc.

-Momma wasn't in the best of health when she laid those particular eggs or didn't have the best nutrition

There are really 101 reasons why a developing egg might stop. Don't fret about it, it's just nature's way.

ETA: Oh and don't worry about discarding the eggs, some other creature will do that for you and momma duck. Circle of life my friend!

 

[goosedragon]

Good Post!!!