Cool down?

[GoneQuackers]

This week will be my first time incubating. I made a forced air incubator from a styrofoam box. The eggs will be hand turned. I've done a lot of research on ducks, incubating the eggs, etc. I haven't seen very much though on cooling them down.

Should I cool them down daily? If so, what is the best way to do this? Should I take them all out and keep the incubator closed while they're cooling or leave them in there and open the lid? How long do you cool them?

I really want to do everything right and would appreciate any help that I can get.

The eggs are Cayuga, Runners and Swedish.

 

[GoneQuackers]

Anybody??

 

[sourland]

It's been a long time since I hatched duck eggs, but the only 'cool down time' they got was as long as it took me to hand turn them 3 times a day. It was an old, round, metal Sears incubator and gave me great hatch rates with this regimen. Good luck with your hatch.

 

[GoneQuackers]

It's been a long time since I hatched duck eggs, but the only 'cool down time' they got was as long as it took me to hand turn them 3 times a day. It was an old, round, metal Sears incubator and gave me great hatch rates with this regimen. Good luck with your hatch.

Thank you!

 

[wordgirl]

I'm cooling about 5-7 minutes a day this 2nd week (didn't cool on purpose first week - only what happened when the incubator was opened and closed). I take all my eggs out of the turner and set them in a carton beside the incubator (closed) and then put them back in the incubator.

I don't think you're supposed to cool them the first week. There's a thread (maybe you've already seen it - https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/491013/goose-incubation-hatching-guide-completed) all about hatching that mentions cooling (the thread talks about geese, but I've heard the author say that he's used the cooling method for all his poultry (he has ducks), including parrots.) He cools for a bit longer than I do (with the cooling I'm kind of going about halfway between Pete's suggestions and the suggestions in the Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks - and I mist after cooling, instead of before...but this is my first hatch, so Pete's advice is probably better!) Here's something from another thread he posted in:

Quote:

 

[GoneQuackers]

Thank you wordgirl!

 

[wordgirl]

You're welcome! I've been thinking about Pete's suggestions, and I think I might be switching to doing it at the beginning of the cool-down period.