I agree with everyone else, your humidity is way too low. The first time I hatched duck eggs I FAILED big time! I set 16 eggs and got two out of it, ended up having to help one of them out. They both made it to be happy healthy adults though. However the second time I gave it a try I uped the humidity and did my best not to worry too terribly about them (I have a tendency to worry lol). The second go I put in 21 and hatched out 15 to adulthood. So here is my advice,
1- get an auto turner, everytime you open the bator it lowers your temps and sucks out your humidity, also you dont want to touch the eggs a lot, it can black the pores in the egg and cause it not to hatch.
2- temps at about 99.5 but 99-100 (no higher than 100.9) and humidity during baking should be 60-65% then at lockdown bring it up to about 75-80%
Humidity can be a devil to keep up in a styro bator, I use a little giant and a Hovabator so i know it isnt easy especially since hova is notoriously difficult to work with. I used papertowels, however they dry up quickly (usually within 12 hours) and can harbor bacteria. So I quit using them unless I HAVE to. HOWEVER, I will use them with the cup method. Sometimes a sponge will do but make sure it has no soap residue or anything on it, sometimes when you buy a new sponge it will have a residual bubble thing lol so rinse it well first. I cut up the sponge into strips I use those if I have to during lockdown, keeps the babies out of any cups of water. The cup method I use works well for humidity. You can use a solo cup cut it down to maybe 2 inches deep put a DRY papertowel in it then fill with water till about a half an inch from the top. The papertowel will work like a wick. Also, remember to use the water trays in the bottom of your bator they are your friend! Be sure to disinfect your bator well with at the very least 50% dawn and 50% water solution. I clean the top and bottom of my bator out. Scrub the plastic tray well, water is bad at harboring bacterias that you will never know are there. Someone said plug your two vent holes. Do it, however if you by chance get your temps too high then unplug one vent. It takes practice getting the humidity up high enough. Dont get discouraged. Hatching duck eggs isnt easy!
3- IF YOU NEED TO: Every day I check the humidity, if you HAVE to get a CLEAN spray bottle fill it with clean water and spritz the eggs once a day (so this if you still have trouble keeping humidity up during the baking period. I did it and it helped. Now once you get to lockdown you wont be able to do that you need to KEEP THE BATOR CLOSED. Remember it is called lockdown for a reason. I had a hard time of it for the last three days but dont open the bator unless absolutely necessary. By day 25 at lockdown you should have your humidity methods pretty well figured out so take it a day at a time. Try not to worry too much about small fluxuations.
Remember this: a mother duck sits on her eggs most of the day but she will get off to poop and eat and drink and have a quick swim then she goes back to the nest. Youre the mother duck. So think like a duck and you will have it figured out in no time. It is never an easy task hatching an egg (unless you own a brinsea LMAO I hear they are fantastic!) So keep trying and eventually you will have it figured out. None of us get perfect hatches, especially with styrofoam bators.
1- get an auto turner, everytime you open the bator it lowers your temps and sucks out your humidity, also you dont want to touch the eggs a lot, it can black the pores in the egg and cause it not to hatch.
2- temps at about 99.5 but 99-100 (no higher than 100.9) and humidity during baking should be 60-65% then at lockdown bring it up to about 75-80%
Humidity can be a devil to keep up in a styro bator, I use a little giant and a Hovabator so i know it isnt easy especially since hova is notoriously difficult to work with. I used papertowels, however they dry up quickly (usually within 12 hours) and can harbor bacteria. So I quit using them unless I HAVE to. HOWEVER, I will use them with the cup method. Sometimes a sponge will do but make sure it has no soap residue or anything on it, sometimes when you buy a new sponge it will have a residual bubble thing lol so rinse it well first. I cut up the sponge into strips I use those if I have to during lockdown, keeps the babies out of any cups of water. The cup method I use works well for humidity. You can use a solo cup cut it down to maybe 2 inches deep put a DRY papertowel in it then fill with water till about a half an inch from the top. The papertowel will work like a wick. Also, remember to use the water trays in the bottom of your bator they are your friend! Be sure to disinfect your bator well with at the very least 50% dawn and 50% water solution. I clean the top and bottom of my bator out. Scrub the plastic tray well, water is bad at harboring bacterias that you will never know are there. Someone said plug your two vent holes. Do it, however if you by chance get your temps too high then unplug one vent. It takes practice getting the humidity up high enough. Dont get discouraged. Hatching duck eggs isnt easy!
3- IF YOU NEED TO: Every day I check the humidity, if you HAVE to get a CLEAN spray bottle fill it with clean water and spritz the eggs once a day (so this if you still have trouble keeping humidity up during the baking period. I did it and it helped. Now once you get to lockdown you wont be able to do that you need to KEEP THE BATOR CLOSED. Remember it is called lockdown for a reason. I had a hard time of it for the last three days but dont open the bator unless absolutely necessary. By day 25 at lockdown you should have your humidity methods pretty well figured out so take it a day at a time. Try not to worry too much about small fluxuations.
Remember this: a mother duck sits on her eggs most of the day but she will get off to poop and eat and drink and have a quick swim then she goes back to the nest. Youre the mother duck. So think like a duck and you will have it figured out in no time. It is never an easy task hatching an egg (unless you own a brinsea LMAO I hear they are fantastic!) So keep trying and eventually you will have it figured out. None of us get perfect hatches, especially with styrofoam bators.
