Yuck! Our Rouen Hen hit three weeks on the eggs today, and when I went out to fill her food & water, she had pushed out most of an egg. It was broken open and oh-so-smelly! The whole thing looked a little like a cooked egg yolk from end to end, but more green than yellow. Is this what rotten eggs normally look like? I always figured a rotten egg would look more like either a dead embryo or an unfertilized egg. Since it had broken in the nest, I took a peek to see if the nest was nasty. There was one egg that had some of this yolk-like stuff crusted on it. I gave it a quick rinse and scraped off the stuff. Hopefully it didn't cool off too much with the hose water. The rest of the nest looked OK. Should I investigate further? I candled most of the others (they looked fine to my very untrained eye), but by this time she was hovering over me as if to say, "Are you doing this, or am I?" I really don't like to disturb her... you know how Rouens can be a little temperamental. I don't want to run to the store in a panic for a 'bator to finish the last week. Thanks!
Yep, it was probably a rotten egg. The egg would have been fine with the rotten yolk on it, I have had ducks and a goose set before and they at least all had a rotten egg smash under them and the eggs that had the rotten stuff on them all hatched. But I think the egg you washed will be fine since female ducks take nice cool baths then go and sit on the eggs again.
Thanks, ducklover1. I did another quick candle this weekend while my hubby was setting up a camera, and all seems to be well.