Should I Crack or Hatch?

[americanchicks]

Hey all!
My Welsh Harlequins are laying! First time since September. Got 5 eggs out of 6 ducks today. I decided to eat the smaller egg for lunch and was disappointed to see it wasn't fertile. (Egg was delicious) I have a drake but I have yet to see him get busy. I'm anxious to start incubating I have people wanting ducklings. So should I wait, gather more eggs, and put them in the incubator to see if they grow? Or should I cook the eggs I got so far looking for fertility?

 

[casportpony]

I'd put them in the incubator and candle them on day 5.

 

[RosemaryDuck]

Hey all!
My Welsh Harlequins are laying! First time since September. Got 5 eggs out of 6 ducks today. I decided to eat the smaller egg for lunch and was disappointed to see it wasn't fertile. (Egg was delicious) I have a drake but I have yet to see him get busy. I'm anxious to start incubating I have people wanting ducklings. So should I wait, gather more eggs, and put them in the incubator to see if they grow? Or should I cook the eggs I got so far looking for fertility?

If they're just starting up laying again I would give them a week or so to even everything out. You might get some odd/small eggs that aren't the best for hatching right now.

Once they're laying consistently again you should be able to collect some really nice ones for hatching!

 

[cheezenkwackers]

One of my ducks just started laying last week. We ate four of the eggs and they were all infertile even though my drake has produced many ducklings in the past. I would eat the eggs until one was fertile and then incubate.

 

[indianaducks]

People here told me the drakes will also slow down in the winter so some winter eggs may not be fertilized. I keep thinking about putting eggs in the incubator but I've noticed some that I crack are not fertilized yet. I'd probably wait a bit. I've noticed the drakes are much more active on the warm days and everyone just sleeps the cold days away right now.

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

I would eat for at least a month. First eggs even if fertile, are often hard to hatch as they are too small.

 

[talkhorsesducks]

People here told me the drakes will also slow down in the winter so some winter eggs may not be fertilized. I keep thinking about putting eggs in the incubator but I've noticed some that I crack are not fertilized yet. I'd probably wait a bit. I've noticed the drakes are much more active on the warm days and everyone just sleeps the cold days away right now.

Yes! Drakes do slow down in the winter- ducks are one of the few breeds of bird to have male parts. (fun fact it’s corkscrew shaped) actually Drakes can have one up to 20 cm long in breeding season. In the in winter it shrinks to 10% of its full grown size and are stored inside the drake until breeding season. Chances are your boys won’t start getting active until March-April!