[EJCTM]

I currently have a broody hen sitting on 6 runner duck eggs. No problem with mum - she is a great broody. I noticed today that one of the eggs has a slightly darker area on one half of the shell. When I picked it up, it smelled bad to me, but there is a difference of opinion in my house about the smell - my daughter says it just smells like a cooked egg yolk. When candled today, I can see a dark mass (which I took to be baby and yolk?) and a couple of small dark floating flecks. Eggs were purchased from a breeder and sent by post. They arrived on 4th June and straight under broody, so are due to hatch 2nd July by my calculations (28 days). When candled on day 10, I could see veins in 4, and was not sure about 2, but it was difficult to see. I candled a good egg today to compare it, and I could just see a dark blob, but also veins. My torch is rubbish though!

Has anyone got experience to advise me whether I should hang in there a bit longer, or chuck the egg. I don't want to risk throwing a baby away as I only have the 6 eggs. I expected mummy hen to have kicked it out if it was bad, nature knowing best and all!

Many thanks,

EJ

[Kate and her Ducks]

Bit hard to say without being able to see it. By this stage things are starting to get much harder to define, even with a good candler (although I use a torch and a loo roll inner!). Soon almost all of the egg will be dark.
Like you I would hate to throw away a live duckling and although it can happen it is rare for an egg to explode as the warnings tell us, even if the embryo in it dies. I would keep it. You can candle in a few days time and if it has remained the same and the others grown then you have your answer. If it is beeping pace then leave it be. Just remember to make it!