3 Ways to Check Duck Eggs Are Dead or Still Alive

2025 Author: Jason Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2025-01-23 12:04

There may be duck eggs that you put in the incubator to hatch into ducks, but you don't know if they are alive or dead. Maybe you find an egg in your garden and wonder if it's still worth keeping. You can determine if the duck egg is damaged or still good by looking at it with a flashlight. You can also test it to see if it's still afloat or not, and see if it's still alive and developing properly.

Step

Method 1 of 3: Watching Eggs with a Flashlight

Step 1. Prepare a flashlight with a diameter of 1.5 cm

The flashlight should be small enough to be easy to hold and bright enough to shine on the eggs.

You can use the old method, which is to use a candle to check eggs. However, be careful when handling the candle, so that it does not burn

Tell if Duck Eggs Are Dead or Alive Step 2

Step 2. Make the room or area there very dark

Turn off all lights in the room or area so you can point the flashlight at the egg and see it.

You can also cover the incubator with black curtains or a dark blanket to darken the interior

Tell if Duck Eggs Are Dead or Alive Step 3

Step 3. Point the flashlight at the egg

Hold the flashlight in one hand, with the other hand holding the egg, and the thumb supporting the back of the egg. Stick the egg in front of the flashlight so that all the light from the flashlight can hit the egg. The flashlight must be able to illuminate all sides of the egg.

Make sure no shadow hits the egg. You should be able to see the inside of the egg using a flashlight

Tell if Duck Eggs Are Dead or Alive Step 4

Step 4. Check for visible veins and redness

Look for obvious veins and a warm reddish color on the eggs, especially on the sixth or so day of incubation. This is a sign that there is still a living and developing embryo in it.

Towards the end of the incubation period, you may notice a developing duck's beak in the air pocket within the egg. This means that this egg will soon hatch

Tell if Duck Eggs Are Dead or Alive Step 5

Step 5. Look for movement in the egg

When the egg is irradiated with a flashlight, you will see the embryo moving inside. The eggs may wiggle or move. In order for the embryo to move, the egg needs to be stimulated with a bright flashlight.

Tell if Duck Eggs Are Dead or Alive Step 6

Step 6. Get rid of eggs that are white, have no veins or movement

If the egg doesn't appear to have veins and is white when you light it, it's probably dead. The egg doesn't move and you don't see anything inside the egg either when you shine a flashlight on it.

Duck eggs can look damaged at any stage, from day 1 to day 27

Method 2 of 3: Using the Float Test

Tell if Duck Eggs Are Dead or Alive Step 7

Step 1. Make sure the egg is not cracked

Before you perform the float test, make sure the eggs are not cracked, dented, or otherwise damaged. Do not put a cracked egg in water, as this will drown the embryo, if the egg is still alive.

If you know the incubation period for the eggs, you should wait until day 24 or 25 to do the buoyancy test. This will ensure that the eggs are developing properly when tested

Tell if Duck Eggs Are Dead or Alive Step 8

Step 2. Put warm water in a clear plastic container

The water temperature should not exceed 38 °C. Pour the water into a deep, clear plastic container so you can see the contents. Fill the container as much as or 3/4 of it.

Tell if Duck Eggs Are Dead or Alive Step 9

Step 3. Put the eggs in the water using a spoon

Slowly dip the eggs into the water one at a time.

Tell if Duck Eggs Are Dead or Alive Step 10

Step 4. See if the egg sinks to the bottom of the container

If the egg sinks to the bottom of the container, it means the egg is not alive. This is a sign there is yolk in it, but the embryo is not developing.

Tell if Duck Eggs Are Dead or Alive Step 11

Step 5. Check if the egg floats in an inclined position

If the wide side of the egg is above the water while the pointed side is at the bottom, it means the egg is dead. If the egg floats on its side, so that the egg looks almost horizontal, it means that there is still a living embryo in the egg.

If the embryo is still alive, the egg can move on its own in the water.
If the egg floats on its side, remove it from the water and wipe it dry. Put the eggs in the incubator and hatch on their own.

Method 3 of 3: Checking Eggs

Tell if Duck Eggs Are Dead or Alive Step 12

Step 1. Hold the egg to see if it feels warm

If you find eggs in your garden, use the back of your hand to check if they are warm to the touch. The egg probably fell from a nearby nest and is still warm from the mother.

Just because it's still warm, doesn't mean it's still good. You should check again to see if the egg is still alive

Tell if Duck Eggs Are Dead or Alive Step 13

Step 2. Make sure the outside of the egg is not cracked or damaged

Pay attention to the egg shell. See if there are any fine cracks, dents, or minor cracks. If there is, it means the egg is broken and there is no life in it.

Tell if Duck Eggs Are Dead or Alive Step 14

Step 3. Check if the egg is moving

Put the egg in your hand and see if it slides or spins. This is a sign that the embryo in the egg is still alive. Duck eggs that have been incubating for a long time and are still alive can sway or move on their own.

Tell if Duck Eggs Are Dead or Alive Step 15

Step 4. Put the eggs in the incubator

If you believe the duck eggs found are still alive, wash the eggs thoroughly with lukewarm water and then place them in the incubator. You can buy an incubator online for duck eggs or at a store that sells farm equipment. Make sure the incubator remains at 37 or 38 °C.

Turn the eggs once a day to keep them warm.
Binoculars with a flashlight while the eggs are incubating to ensure the eggs develop properly. Depending on how long the duck eggs are, it may take 27 to 28 days to hatch in the incubator.

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