Duck Story

In the beginning of April a pair of white ducks, called Pekin Ducks, left an egg on my cement patio one night and were nowhere to be seen the next day.  Later that day the egg was gone- just to find that there was egg white and yolk on the cement- so we presumed an animal got to it.  But, the ducks came back that afternoon and the male duck was visibly upset, quacking up a storm at me, running over to my mulch and looking through it.  It broke my heart.  They don't know to make a nest but know that the egg was theirs :(

So, on April 17th and again on May 2nd, they left another egg on my patio.  I went out and bought an incubator and automatic egg turner (or else we'd have to turn each egg approximately every 6 hours for the first 25 days after which the egg is not turned so the duckling can make its way out).  We candled each egg - using a flashlight we carefully shined the light into the egg to see if it had been fertilized and if there was movement in the egg.  Both eggs were fertilized with movement.

Day 25 came around for the first egg - May 13th.  Yes, Mother's Day.  We took the egg turner out of the incubator and have been turning the second egg by hand.  Today is May 16th, the 28th day.  This is the day that the books say we should have a duck hatch if all went well with the whole incubation/hatching process.  I've been nervous, not seeing much activity since Monday morning when the egg was in a different place than I'd placed it the night before and I also witnessed the egg rocking back and forth a couple times on Monday morning. No activity seen since Monday morning, though.  And nothing seen with candling.

I read up on it and found that sometimes the duckling has to rest after breaking the air sac in the egg and will rest until it uses all the air and will know to break the shell to get more air.  This morning, still May 16th, I candled the egg and I SAW MOVEMENT!  This is so exciting.  We went out last week and bought all that we would initially need to start this little fella out.  The plan, if the duckling makes it out and is healthy enough to make it, is to raise it until it's full grown, a couple of months or so, and then release it into the Lake where it should acclimate.

Below is a picture - two views - of the egg before any opening has appeared.  Hopefully I will soon be following this picture with the progression of the little duckling making his way out.