Rouen duck eggs

[Angiportum]

I have two ducks, a female Rouen and a male (unsure of breed). Today I found four eggs around my duck yard and I have a few questions about them:
1. Is it possible she would have laid eggs that are unfertilized? I did see the ducks "in the act" today so I'm not sure if the eggs I found were laid before the male mated with her (is that possible?) or if all of the eggs are a result of prior couplings.
2. I brought them inside and candled them, but they don't really look like anything. I don't have an incubator so I'm torn between putting them back in the duck yard to see if she hatches them or counting them as unfertilized and eating them. I don't know when she laid them so I don't know if it's too soon for them to look fertilized or if they're simply unfertilized eggs.

Thank you for your help!!

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

I’m 99% sure all the eggs you have been getting are firtilized. Once the male mates which happens a few times a day, the. Eggs can be firtilized for a week or more.

 

[sylviethecochin]

1. Ducks can retain sperm for up to two weeks. During that period they will lay fertilised eggs.

2. And you can't tell whether or not eggs are fertilised by candling them. You can't, in fact, tell whether eggs are fertilised until they've been incubated for at least two days. Or you can crack them open and look for the "bullseye"

When/if your duck decides to raise ducklings, she'll start by making a nest and laying all of her eggs from that time forwards in it. Until she decides to make a nest, she'll lay eggs wherever she happens to be at the time. So don't bother leaving eggs until she makes a nest; there's no point leaving eggs out to go rotten.

Good luck.

 

[Cayuga momma]

Unless she has built a nest and is laying the eggs in it, I doubt she will hatch them.
If she just started laying, you will probably want to let her lay eggs for a few weeks before you try to hatch any.