chicken and duck eggs

[cowlady11]

would it be ok to hatch chicken and duck eggs in the same incubator?

 

[cowlady11]

has anyone tried it successfully?

 

[chickenlisa]

I did in May, but I didn't have 100% success rates. I set the duck eggs 7 days before the chicken eggs went in. I had 15 out of 19 eggs hatch (well I had tossed out 2 duck eggs early on I think due to them being clear) and I had less success with the chicken eggs, but I did have 3 of my own chickens' eggs hatch and 3 of the realsilkielovers' eggs hatch. I lost lost of silkies and showgirls I'm sure, as that was my first incubating/hatching experience and I tried to help some of them hatch, but ended up doing them no real favors. But I did have ducklings and chicks hatch out in the same incubator within about 5 days of each other. I think I drowned some of the chicks by upping the humidity for the ducklings to be ok, and then when I opened the bator to take the ducklings out, that didn't help the chicken eggs either.
I probably wouldn't do it again if I didn't have to. I think keeping them separate works better. I did it with Guinea eggs too another time mixed with chicken eggs. Same sort of problems...
Good Luck
Lisa

 

[hatchcrazzzy]

i never mix my eggs to hatch

 

[kellim]

Yep! I mix eggs all the time. Just finished a staggered hatch of Chicken, Guinea and Duck eggs with a 100% hatch rate!!! My previous hatch I lost two chicken eggs because I dropped them and cracked them but didn't notice that the membrane had a tiny hole in each.Put them in the bator and on hatch day noticed nothing happened. Candled the eggs and there was no movement, whereas there had been the day before. Both those babies pipped into the air cell and died from bacteria from the tear in the membrane. Other than that I have never had a problem hatching different things in the bator at the same time. Oh one thing though, make sure that the ducks hatch last. I mean don't put the duck eggs in and then the chicken trying to have both hatch at the same time. Ducks do make a pretty big mess sometimes, my latest hatch the ducks pooped like crazy in the bator within seconds of hatching! YUCK!!!

Oh, I ran my humidity at 50-55 % the entire time with all the eggs and never had a problem with it. Just my experience. I will personally continue hatching multiple types of eggs staggered in my bator. I think it is awesome having the variety and all the sweet babies!

 

[cowlady11]

thanks!