[Bionic]

My duck eggs have been under my broody chicken since Monday. Should I candle them now and if so is it ok to take them out from under the broody?

[Clarebelle]

I would probably wait a couple more days, maybe leave it until Monday, then it will have been a week? I'm not sure you would see the blood vessels clearly yet, even in a duck egg

[HesterF]

I guess it depends on the breed - I find my duck eggs really easy to candle and can generally see within about three days whether they're fertile or not. If you do candle, do it at night which makes it both easier to see and less bother for the broody (just lift her off, plonk her somewhere to one side, candle, then pop her back on afterwards, she'll be fine).

H

[Bionic]

She got off them this morning for a quick bite to eat but I wasn't prepared at that time for candling. At that time though I have discovered 2 of the eggs missing and one with a pecked hole in it  . She has also stolen 4 chickens eggs and was sitting on those.
I don't have a cockerel so the chickens eggs would never hatch.
Somehow I think my duck eggs are doomed

[Brucklay]

Don't give up hope - how many duck eggs still there? We have a call duck on eggs which I was sure should have hatched by now - had given her a few extra days + 1 and thought today was the day to get rid of the next and get her back with the others and give the boys goats back their entire shed - I lifted her off, held the first egg to my ear to hear chirp, chirp, chirp - I guess she knew best that all was well 


Adding not quite about candling but nature/duck eggs in general

[Bionic]

At the moment she is still sitting on 4 duck eggs. I just hope she doesn't try to destroy those.


A few days before my chicken went broody my friend had a broody bantam so I also put 5 duck eggs under her. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed    That one produces something