The incubation process can be a nerve-wracking experience, a lot of things can go wrong during this time so you’d need to keep a very close eye on the eggs that you are incubating.
If you’re keeping a close eye on the eggs that you’re incubating, and the eggs start to turn grey, you’d be right to worry, this article explores why this happens
Duck eggs turning grey:
Duck eggs are usually white in color, it is true that some ducks will lay eggs that are a pale blue or pale green color but, ducks do not lay eggs that are gray in color.
If your duck’s eggs start to change color, from white, light blue, or light green, to grey then this means that the eggs are rotten.
The eggs may or may not give off a smell that they are rotten, so you may not be able to tell that eggs are rotten by smelling them, but you can candle the eggs to check if they are rotten or not.
How to candle the egg:
Candling is a way of checking whether your duck’s is egg viable or not.
Candling involves taking the egg into a dark room and using a flashlight, or a candle as the name suggests, to light the back of the egg to see what is inside. You can alternatively purchase an egg candler to help you candle the eggs
A healthy and viable egg will have a network of veins inside, you will see this once you candle the eggs. You may also see a heartbeat in the egg when candling the egg.
Candling the bird’s egg on day 7 is recommended, the veins should be visible by then. If the egg isn’t viable then the egg will be clear when you candle it and have no vein network and no embryo.
If the egg is still clear on day 7 of incubation then you should get rid of the egg.
If you realize that an egg is rotten then you’d need to quickly take the egg out of the incubator and get rid of it.
If you leave the egg in the incubator then the egg may explode inside the incubator leaving a horrible smell inside and leaving quite a mess.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other duck related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Vinegar And Ducks, How To Stop Ducks Laying Eggs In My Yard, Duck Only Sitting On Eggs At Night, How To Stop Ducks From Laying Eggs, Dark Spots On Duck Eggs, Vinegar In A Duck Pool, Duck Poop Stains In Pool