Optimally you want each egg to lose 13% of its weight from hatch to day 25 of the incubation period. Weighing each egg throughout the incubation process is the most accurate way to achieve the proper humidity levels for a successful hatch. Conversely, low humidity will result in a larger air space, a smaller, weaker duckling and hatching problems. If the humidity is too high in the incubator, the air sac will be too small and the duckling will have trouble breathing and breaking out of the shell. It’s crucial that the air sac be the correct size to allow the embryo room to grow and air to breathe before it hatches. Humidity should be checked using a hygrometer, available from your feed store or online if your incubator doesn’t come equipped with one, and kept constant according to your incubator instruction manual.Īs the embryo develops, moisture is lost through the pores in the eggshell, and the air sac in the egg gets larger. Depending on the type of incubator you are using, the humidity can be controlled by filling small water reservoirs, or wetting a clean kitchen sponge and setting it inside the incubator. The humidity level in the incubator is extremely important as well and needs to be monitored. You’re simply making sure the eggs aren’t cracked or contaminated.ĭuck eggs should be incubated at a temperature between 99.3 and 99.6 (but again, check the setting for your particular model) for 28 days. Note: At this point, a fertile hatching duck egg looks exactly like a non-fertile egg, so there’s no way to tell which might hatch. Eggshells are extremely porous and bacteria is easily transmitted from your hands through the pores to the developing embryo throughout the incubation. It’s very important to wash your hands both prior to and after handling the eggs. Contaminated eggs can explode and contaminate other eggs. If you see a reddish ring inside the egg, that ‘blood ring’ indicates bacteria has gotten inside the egg and it should be discarded. You can seal minor cracks with softened beeswax to prevent bacteria and air from entering the egg through the crack and killing the embryo. You can use a regular flashlight and just cup your hand around the beam to shine it through the shell. When you are ready to put the eggs in the incubator, whether using your own eggs or shipped eggs, “candle” each egg to check for hairline cracks. After that, fertility starts to decline, so try not to delay too long. Fertile eggs will stay viable for about seven days after being laid. Hatchability declines each day after an egg is laid. Most problems with eggs not hatching can be attributed to old eggs with low fertility, rough handling, eggs stored at an improper temperature, improper turning, uneven incubator temperature or humidity, or nutritional deficiencies in the breeding stock. Rotate the eggs side to side several times a day to keep the yolk centered in the white. Store the eggs pointed end down at a 45-degree angle in a cool location – around 60 degrees is optimal – until you’ve collected enough to fill your incubator. Don’t wash them, instead carefully scrape off any muck with your fingernail or a rough sponge. If you are using your own eggs, pick some of average size that are perfectly shaped, preferably not covered with mud or manure. Shipped eggs are often jostled or subjected to temperature fluctuations and often have a far lower hatch rate than other eggs. If you don’t have a drake, or want to hatch some breeds you don’t currently raise, be sure to order your hatching eggs from a reputable breeder or hatchery – or pick them up at a local farm. Using your own fertile eggs is best when you’re considering hatching duck eggs since you know that the ducks are healthy and the eggs are fresh. I much prefer hatching my own ducklings to buying ducks because I find the ducks I hatch are far more friendly as adults. Various types of incubators work slightly differently, so it’s important to read the instruction manual for your particular model, but I wanted to share some general tips for a successful hatch to get you started raising baby ducklings. sit on fertile eggs until they hatch), using an incubator is generally your best bet. Since domestic duck breeds rarely go broody (i.e. Hatching duck eggs is an awe-inspiring experience.
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