Tiny crack in incubation egg

[Emmytheduckgirl]

Looks like a crack to me, I wouldn't incubate it.
How many duck(?) eggs are in your incubator?
Have you ever incubated before?

One in their this month! Been incubating for lots of years now and I think I’m going to continue to incubate because it’s already starting to be alive and I wouldn’t just give up on the baby.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

If the egg is developing theres no reason to take it out. Are you only incubating one egg? You need to incubate multiple so that this hatching has siblings. Having a lonely hatchling is never ideal.
Lots of eggs can still make it to hatch with cracks. This one isn't sever at all.

My exact thoughts! Plus it's not easy to integrate a lone duckling. Is it going to be an issue if you have more than one duckling? That's far more ideal for the ducklings.

Side note: I've hatched duck eggs and chicken eggs many times. I totally understand the disappointment of waiting the entire incubation period and having no successful hatches. It happens but the chances of that is much higher with shipped eggs (I have used shipped eggs all but once). Especially with this egg being possibly cracked.

Edited to add: I haven't read this thread all the way through

 

[HeatherKellyB]

@MGG is amazing with many things but especially incubation and hatching <3 Tagging her for anything more she may add.

 

[Emmytheduckgirl]

My exact thoughts! Plus it's not easy to integrate a lone duckling. Is it going to be an issue if you have more than one duckling? That's far more ideal for the ducklings.

Side note: I've hatched duck eggs and chicken eggs many times. I totally understand the disappointment of waiting the entire incubation period and having no successful hatches. It happens but the chances of that is much higher with shipped eggs (I have used shipped eggs all but once). Especially with this egg being possibly cracked.

Edited to add: I haven't read this thread all the way through

I totally understand lonely ducklings! I have read up on it a bunch of times but in this situation it will be okay! I will spend majority of my time with the duckling. I understand if you guys still don’t agree with it but I can only have one more duckling added otherwise I won’t have enough space for everyone. I hope you understand!

 

[Weeg]

I totally understand lonely ducklings! I have read up on it a bunch of times but in this situation it will be okay! I will spend majority of my time with the duckling. I understand if you guys still don’t agree with it but I can only have one more duckling added otherwise I won’t have enough space for everyone. I hope you understand!

How big is your current run and how many ducks?

 

[HeatherKellyB]

I totally understand lonely ducklings! I have read up on it a bunch of times but in this situation it will be okay! I will spend majority of my time with the duckling. I understand if you guys still don’t agree with it but I can only have one more duckling added otherwise I won’t have enough space for everyone. I hope you understand!

I understand and that was only a suggestion. You know what will work for you I hope you'll share some adorable pictures with us

 

[The WinterWolf]

Yep

not a crack.

 

[Emmytheduckgirl]

I understand and that was only a suggestion. You know what will work for you I hope you'll share some adorable pictures with us

Of coarse I will! Can’t wait to put a tiny Santa hat on the cutie!

 

[The WinterWolf]

Of coarse I will! Can’t wait to put a tiny Santa hat on the cutie!

Aww..

your chick looks fine. be sure to post a hatch-a-long!

 

[MGG]

It does look like a small hairline crack to me, but it't kinda hard to tell.
What I would do (I know you already put NP over it but for anyone else reading the thread) clean the egg with rubbing alcohol, put a very thin coat of natural nail polish over the crack area (colors work too, as long as they're natural), and make sure that the incubator is extremely clean (sterilize it before setting any eggs no matter what).
One other question, can you set two eggs, and if both hatch, raise them together, integrate them together, and then later on give the extra duckling to your friend?
They really need another duck to grow up with. Trust me, I've tried to raise lone chicks. Who wouldn't love an imprinted, super friendly fuzz butt? But it just can't work. Even if you can give them all the attention in the world they'll still be unhappy. When you go to integrate a single bird, he'll be rejected and attacked. He will NEVER be fully accepted. It's incredibly heartbreaking. If you can just raise two until they're established in the flock, you'll have no problems at all. And they'll still be very friendly if you hand raise them. They just need the companionship of another like them. They crave it.
It should be really easy to sell the extra on Cl or something like that. Especially if it's young enough that you don't know the gender yet. If there's a chance it could be a female people will snatch it right up. Or could you sell one of your current ducks to make room for two new babies? Maybe an extra drake?
There's also a chance that one of them will die and you'll be left with just one anyway. You never know.