Q&A for How to Tell if Duck Eggs Are Dead or Alive

Yes. A duckling's incubation period is about a month.

Absolutely. They have a richer flavor than chicken eggs, which some people really like.

Shadows at the tip of the egg are okay, the chick probably is just starting to grow.

Some duck eggs fail to be fertilized, and occasionally an embryo will die in the early stages of fertility.

It is. By 45 days, the eggs are dead.

Ducks aren't very happy nesters, so the answer to this should be no. I have had experience with ducks and have learned that when disturbed, they may just scatter the eggs and leave the nest. if you want to still hatch the eggs, try putting them under a broody chicken hen. I recommend you do this to all your duck eggs, because ducks really don't care about their eggs like chickens do, and will possibly forget about them and leave them behind.

Check the article Make a Simple Homemade Incubator for Chicks for instructions on making your own incubator.

Are you seeing this spot under light? You say it has been like this for a long time? I don't think it is developing. That small spot may be the yolk, and likely it is dead.

I can't confirm definitively, but try placing the egg in a shallow plate to see if it moves around the 20-25 day mark.

This can be normal and there is actually nothing to worry about. The mother knows when she needs to sit on the eggs and will do so. At times they can just lay the eggs and not worry about them for a few days. Just let nature take its course and she will either sit on them or just let them die.

Wrap them in a light blanket and place them under a heat lamp or on top of a heating pad. They need to be kept at 98° F. Once they've hatched, continue to keep them warm (though less so as they get older).

Put the eggs in an incubator as quickly as possible (you can easily find an online tutorial to quickly make your own DIY chicken egg incubator), and leave them in there until they hatch. Then, but them in a brooder (a tall sided box or, preferably, your bathtub) and raise them in there. Give them constant access to medicated starter feed and water, and fill up the bathtub, sink, kiddie pool, etc multip!e times per day to let them swim and bathe themselves. Once they are mature they will need a coop and something to swim in, and will need adult feed instead of starter.

It's hard to say whether or not it's alive, but do incubate it just in case. It takes about 28 days to hatch. If your incubator doesn't have an automatic humidifier, but does have a humidity scale, you can put a small bowl of water in the incubator for humidity.

If you see veins, it might have been alive, but it likely isn't anymore since it was in the refrigerator and could have frozen.

The egg is likely infertile. Once the chicks hatch, they can walk, so the mother and chicks probably left the nest.

You can try candling, where you shine a light behind the egg. Inside the egg, you should see a big dot moving or pulsating with veins spreading out. If it is moving, keep the egg warm.

Return the egg but be cautious. When the mallard comes back, it might abandon the nest, which could result in the egg becoming your responsibility.

You can incubate the eggs, but proceed with caution. Mother ducks often do not sit on the eggs until all are laid. If there is no sign of the mother returning, you can incubate them.

You should wait until day 40; if they haven't hatched by then, they would be considered dead. If they start emitting an odor, they are confirmed to be dead.

Yes, sometimes they take up to 30-35 days. It really depends on the chick, but if they haven't hatched by day 40, they are probably not viable.

Keep them incubated until the rest of the eggs hatch. That's the best way to try to keep them alive.

No, you should wait ten days. If the cracked egg has an odor, it's dead. I recommend doing a float test on the other eggs after ten days of incubation and a smell test for the cracked one.

It's likely infertile, meaning it contains just the yolk and does not have a developing embryo.

Yes, it is possible that this egg contains a viable embryo. However, to get a better idea, try candling the duck egg.

It is up to you, however, it may be more distressing for the mother if you remove them. Ducks can handle wet weather and she chose the nesting site for a reason.

You can still incubate the eggs, but you need to get the eggs away from the duck first (which can sometimes prove to be challenging). I would recommend, however, that you let your duck do the sitting. It is much easier to let the duck take care of the eggs than to incubate.

Unfortunately, it has died. Throw the egg out before it starts to smell worse.

There is a good chance that they are no good, but just to check, hold the egg up to your flashlight on your phone and look for any blood veins or movement.

Just leave them be. There is probably a reason they were abandoned. They might not be alive and the mother might have pushed them away. Let nature have them.

Yes. A chicken can handle a duck baby, for sure. There is a 99% chance that they will survive and she will raise them like her own.