Rotten egg?

elfael · **Posted:** Thu Dec 20, 2007 8:17 am

I have a duck egg that I've been hanging on to for 2 weeks now, waiting for my incubator to arrive. I've been turning it 3 to 4 times a day, and I keep it in the pantry which is the coolest part of the house. Up until now it's been quite a uniform colour and had an opaque band around the middle, but this morning I noticed that it's gone kind of blotchy. Is it still worth incubating, or is it going rotten? I can't smell anything, but it doesn't look right.

kirribindi farm · **Posted:** Thu Dec 20, 2007 3:21 pm

Candle it. If its clear inside, its ok. If its murky, ditch it... carefully.

Easiest way to candle is by cutting a 1cm hole out of a piece of cardboard and holding it over a bright light. Hold the egg over the hole and slowly tip it back and forth.

Jacquie

elfael · **Posted:** Thu Dec 20, 2007 4:42 pm

Thanks for that suggestion ... candling revealed lumps of solid stuff floating around inside the egg, and a big lump of something stuck to one side. I've binned it. Now I have an incubator - it arrived today - and no eggs to put in it.

Do you have any idea why that might have happened? I was trying to be really careful with the egg.

kirribindi farm · **Posted:** Thu Dec 20, 2007 6:04 pm

Duck eggs are quite porous and can easily let bugs in. Add to that, ducks love splashing water around, creating wet litter.

I always wash any dirt/poo off eggs as I collect them.

Jacquie

Peacocks Australia · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2002 9:14 am **Posts:** 310755

Hi Elfael, eggs begin to deteriorate after 7-10 days. The yolk layers will be the first to begin braking down; this will be the Blotchy you can see. The more dark "floating matter" is the Latebra which is the final stage (the smell comes from)

Totally agree with Jacquie, remove all dirt & poo from the eggs, and use a damp cloth.

Thanks
P.A

elfael · **Posted:** Sat Dec 22, 2007 8:07 am

*sigh* I did that.

Oh well, I guess it just got too old.

A question, though ... how is it, if eggs start to deteriorate after 7-10 days, that ducks can lay a decent-sized clutch before starting to sit them? Are the first few eggs just less likely to hatch, or do they only lay for a week or so before going broody? I thought ducks only laid every second day.

Rebecca

Muscovy J · **Posted:** Sat Dec 22, 2007 9:59 am

hi elfael.
i have had eggs that were about 3 to 4 weeks old hatch . and i have had fresh eggs not hatch . like the other guys said sometimes eggs with be no good if thay get wet or dirty . .my girls take up to 2 weeks or so before thay start sitting on there eggs. thay seem to lay every other day . but then thay are muscovys . as other breeds may lay every day? my nest are a a frame type that sit strait on the ground thay dont have a floor in them . i dig a small hollow in the dirt so the eggs dont roll around . also i dont use any straw or other bedding in the nest as thay use there own down feathers to line there nest . my eggs stay very clean and seem to keep very well . i think the earth type nest help regulate the temperature of the eggs when thay are sitting and also help keep the eggs fresher when there not sitting ? what sort of nest boxs do you use mate? also i would love to hear what everyone else uses for nest boxes ?
regards jase
ps what breed do you have

Honks · **Joined:** Fri Jun 22, 2007 8:08 pm **Posts:** 47

Hey Jase

You must have one of a kind mussies if they lay every other day, as all mine lay daily. sure you dont have a resident crow taking the odd egg?

Geese lay every second day.

Regards

Honk

Muscovy J · **Posted:** Sat Dec 22, 2007 10:52 am

sorry not shore about crows. but we do have them every were here i know thay get into other peoples chook eggs but never seen them take any of mine ?
it takes my birds about 2 weeks before thay start sitting . like i said in my last post thay seem to lay every other day ? but then again i dont collect or check there eggs everyday ether? im lucky to check there nests every 2 to 3 weeks or so . and then i get rid of any i dont need . maybe thay are 1 of a kind muscovys ? the best kind? . i dont try to act like i know every thing about breeding muscovys im only letting people know what i do . and my experiences . sorry i said anything

elfael · **Posted:** Sat Dec 22, 2007 10:55 am

Thanks Jase. That egg was a one-off from a call duck - she laid it en route from WA, on the plane, so it was always going to be dubious whether it was viable or not, but I was hoping. The stress of the flight put her off lay, which I expected.

I don't have nest boxes at all because I've only just got my ducks and the calls are boarding at a relative's place until mid-January (living with their chooks). I'd definitely be interested in hearing about other people's nest box setups, especially for calls and bantam saxonies.

Rebecca

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