Desperately looking to speak with someone knowledgeable in incubating Muscovy eggs!

[casportpony]

If you remove all water from your incubator, what's the humidity?

 

[casportpony]

If I were in your shoes, I would remove all water, dry it off, then see where the humidity is with zero water. If it's below 30%, I would remove one of the rollers and place a small container of water in there. Something like this:

 

[AmyA248]

If I were in your shoes, I would remove all water, dry it off, then see where the humidity is with zero water. If it's below 30%, I would remove one of the rollers and place a small container of water in there. Something like this:
View attachment 3403875

Hi,

Ok! I’ll do that. In your opinion, what is the correct humidity? Right now it is holding at 44% and the temperature is 37.7 C.

What is your take on dry hatching?
It was suggested that I try that, but could I go to dry after starting already with 44 - 45%?

I really appreciate your help and advice, you are very kind for taking time out of your day to help me and I truly appreciate it!

 

[casportpony]

If it's holding steady at 44%, I think that's good. If you find yourself having to mess with it several time a day, empty all water, dry it out, see where it's at after a few hours. If below 30%, try adding a small container of water.

What is your take on dry hatching?

It depends on what the humidity is when there is no water. When I remove the water from mine, the humidity drops to 10-155, which is too low.

 

[allenw]

No more time then a muscovey hen sets on the nest I wouldn't fret over the humidity level very much.

 

[Yardmom]

May I suggest that you collect and save future eggs as they are laid and then put them into the incubator all at one time. That way you you won't have different humidity requirements and the ducklings will be the same age. Also your hen is still young. When she matures her eggs may be more hatchable. Also there is a good chance that she will start placing her eggs in one spot and then after she has about 15 eggs or so (another way is you can collect them and give them back to her) she might possibly go broody and set on the eggs herself (no guarantees with live animals)

 

[JustJandBlove]

I am also a novice to hatching Muscovies but have incubated 100's of chicken eggs. We lost our sweet girl, Ruby but had managed to collect 15 of her eggs. Sadly, when we lost her, the eggs were nearing 3 weeks old at the last egg laid. We didn't have high hopes. At day 10 we candled and 8 did not develop at all. 3 more stopped developing shortly after or possibly before. Today is day 18 and we have 4 alive, wriggling embryos. I am seriously concerned with humidity and to spray or not to spray. We have a nurture right 360 incubator and it stays relatively constant between 50 and 55%. We began cooling them for 10 minutes on day 11. I have forgone spraying because after reading the article about hatching Muscovies (prior to firing up the incubator and about 10x a day since) and weighing them plus monitoring air sacs, we have been doing ok. Nearing day 20 though, it says that's when it becomes important. Also, when I saw people spraying on videos, they were SPRAYING the eggs. Getting them good and wet. Is that what you do? Please any and all advice will be appreciated! Thanks!!

 

[Evadig]

Hi and ! You might want to start a new thread for this, but I'll ask @casportpony to come see .

 

[Yardmom]

Muscovies don't usually get their own eggs wet. I have been advised by successful duck hatchers that spraying is unnecessary for any duck eggs. Not recommended for Muscovies.
My personal experience is that muscovies are hatched like chickens, but take longer. Just raise the humidity slightly (60-65) for lockdown. Your incubation humidity was higher than I use.

 

[JustJandBlove]

Hi and ! You might want to start a new thread for this, but I'll ask @casportpony to come see .

Thank you! I will wait a bit

Muscovies don't usually get their own eggs wet. I have been advised by successful duck hatchers that spraying is unnecessary for any duck eggs. Not recommended for Muscovies.
My personal experience is that muscovies are hatched like chickens, but take longer. Just raise the humidity slightly (60-65) for lockdown. Your incubation humidity was higher than I use.

Oh my gosh thank you!!! I seriously can't thank you enough. I have been getting more and more anxious as the days go on. I love hatching chicken eggs and have had mostly great success. Do you think it would be beneficial to lower the humidity until lockdown? Also, since I actually have someone that has been successful hatching Muscovies, what about cooling? I have been cooling them for 10 minutes a day as advised. Is cooling another unnecessary worry or is it good to keep it up? Thank you again for your reply. You have no idea the relief I have now. Thank you a thousand times. Any further advice or suggestions will be icing on the cake. Haha.