Three female ducks and the eggs are fertilized??

[FolkSonginC]

I am wondering if maybe one of them is going through a sex change, as I read that could happen. At the moment I can't hatch them, but next time I crack one open I will take a picture and share it because I am very certain it was fertilized but am curious either way

 

[chickens really]

I am wondering if maybe one of them is going through a sex change, as I read that could happen. At the moment I can't hatch them, but next time I crack one open I will take a picture and share it because I am very certain it was fertilized but am curious either way

Hermaphroditism happens but Still infertile.
Caused by ovary damage.

 

[NatJ]

I'm thinking your seeing something different but you can try hatching some if that's a plan? Possibly bred by a wild Drake?

If it was a wild drake--only takes a few minutes to cause fertile eggs for quite a while.

You said only two of the females are laying--can you tell by a vent check, like for chickens? Or do you get two eggs every day but never one or three?

Any duck that lays an egg, even once, is certainly not a drake. But a "duck" that never lays could still be a drake in disguise.

If the choices are:
--wild drake
--drake that looks female
--infertile egg that looks fertile
Then I think being mistaken about the egg is most likely. But I didn't see the egg, and I've never been any good at recognizing fertile eggs, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt

 

[FolkSonginC]

If it was a wild drake--only takes a few minutes to cause fertile eggs for quite a while.

You said only two of the females are laying--can you tell by a vent check, like for chickens? Or do you get two eggs every day but never one or three?

Any duck that lays an egg, even once, is certainly not a drake. But a "duck" that never lays could still be a drake in disguise.

If the choices are:
--wild drake
--drake that looks female
--infertile egg that looks fertile
Then I think being mistaken about the egg is most likely. But I didn't see the egg, and I've never been any good at recognizing fertile eggs, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt

I'm not sure how to do a vent check, but yes, I get two eggs every day pretty much without change, so i believe one of them has not started laying, which seems unusual for an eight month old 'female'.

 

[FolkSonginC]

I'm not sure how to do a vent check, but yes, I get two eggs every day pretty much without change, so i believe one of them has not started laying, which seems unusual for an eight month old 'female'.

it would be very interesting if I'm not wrong about the egg!

 

[chickens really]

Generally Ducks don't lay everyday. So possibly all are laying and your thinking it's only one or two Hens.

 

[NatJ]

I'm not sure how to do a vent check, but yes, I get two eggs every day pretty much without change, so i believe one of them has not started laying, which seems unusual for an eight month old 'female'.

Vent check pretty much means to go look at the butt of each bird. Turn her upside down, push feathers aside with your fingers until you can see the opening. An egg stretches the vent as it comes out, so a hen that lays regularly has a vent that's wider and looks more able to stretch than one that does not lay at all. I am guessing it works the same for ducks, but I've never had any to try it on. If you find that two have vents that look alike, and one looks smaller/puckered/tightly closed, then you probably have two layers and one not. If you find that all three look alike, it's more likely that they do all lay but are taking turns to confuse you. Sometimes the differences are so obvious it's easy to be sure, and sometimes not.

 

[FolkSonginC]

I've taken some pictures of the eggs, the ring is not nearly as clear as it was on the first one but I believe they are fertilized.

 

[FluffTheDuck]

Hmmm... I’m not sure about this one now. Maybe a wild drake somehow got to them while you weren’t looking?

 

[chickens really]

I'm not seeing fertility..
@WVduckchick has excellent pictures of fertile Duck eggs.