Woman Buys Balut Egg And Decides To Hatch The Duckling That’s Now Her Pet

Balut eggs are fertilized bird embryos (usually ducks) that are often boiled and sold as a delicacy. It originated from and is commonly sold as street food in the Philippines, and has gained popularity in Southeast Asian countries, such as Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam. However, one woman had a totally different thing in mind when she purchased a balut egg.

You see, Erika didn’t find her pet at a local pet shop — she got it from a restaurant!

The 39-year-old bought an uncooked fertilized egg used for balut from a Vietnamese restaurant in the town of Puchong two years ago. This restaurant specialized in selling Balut, a controversial Filipino snack, made of a fertilized duck embryo that is eaten alive from within the shell.

There was supposed to be a partially developed duck chick inside it already, but Erika was skeptical, so she decided to see for herself and bought one on impulse then decided to hatch it at home.

Erika built a makeshift incubator from a Styrofoam box and some heat lamps and placed the egg inside. Two weeks later, she became the “mother” of an adorable duckling that she named Bibit.

From a tiny ball of yellow fluff that sat in the palm of her hand, Bibit soon grew to become a loyal friend covered in soft feathers.

Erika said:

“Ducks make wonderful companions. My Bibit is charming and attentive. I hope more people realize how much fun it is to have a duck as a pet.”

Unsurprisingly, Bibit loves water and often sneaks into the bathroom to splash around in the tub. Bibit is a chill duck, it seems, hanging out beside her owner as she reads or watches TV after a long day of work.

Erica revealed that Bibit lays an egg every 25 hours, so she has an unlimited supply of eggs, which she sometimes shares with family and friends.