Duck Egg Hatching...One more question I swear!..ha

[youdontknow32]

Ok, so I am going to buy some duck eggs and try to hatch them...wondering about temps and humidity and anything else....the breeds are as follows but mixed....muscovy,cayugas,white mallards, and crested mallards.

Thank you!!

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

those will almost hatch just laying in the summer sun!
They are pretty much no different than any other egg.
99.5 degrees in a forced air incubator, 100 in a still air, (forced is best)
high humidity prefered at 85% or so, a slight misting of warm water from a spray bottle left in the bator (so it's the same temp!)Helps simulate the wet hen returning to the nest after feeding and aids in the higher humidity(though this is not a requirement)
Turn 2-3 times daily. with 3 days to go boost humidity a little more and stop turning eggs.
And that 'll get it. As I said the breeds you mentioned are very hardy and a pleasure to raise, you should have no trouble
Aubrey
boggy bottom bantams

 

[Backswampcub]

Make sure you get plenty of bedding for your brooder. I mean buy more then you think you will need and then double that.

 

[youdontknow32]

Thank you!

What about days for incubation?
How long do they take to hatch??

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

sorry , ment to put that in the post!
They take 28 days.

 

[arllcountrygirl]

Are you going to be hatching muscovy ducks? If so they take 35 days.

 

[youdontknow32]

Thank you!!

So stop turn on day 25 for all duck eggs or the muscovy on day 32? Or since they are mixed....oh boy, Can anyone help? ha


Thanks

 

[arllcountrygirl]

You got the right idea.

 

[shelleyd2008]

I wouldn't use wood chip beding for them. JMajors did that and lost almost all her babies! They were eating it! I use puppy housetraining pads for mine

Oh, and I used 70% incubation humidity, and bumped it to 85% for the hatch. They were right about 100 degrees still air. If my son hadn't opened the bator I would have most likely had 3 babies, instead I got 2.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Yes I forgot that the muscovy are the exception rather than the rule. You are correct though, for ANY bird, stop the turning 3 days prior to their due date.
Also, the other guy was right too, never use litter they can eat, cause they are going to eat it!
I never even used litter on ours because of this, I have 3x8 brooder boxes built with a 3 foot boxed end the reast is 1/4 inch hardware cloth bottom. Toss in a heat lamp and your good to go.
I have raised over 110 different species of migratory and ornamental waterfowl over the years useing this method, and never lost them due to brooder problems.
Also, for waterfowl, the higher the humidity the better, they are waterfowl! I never run below 80% during incubation and bump to 90% during the hatch. They have a bad tendency to stick to their shell if you run it much lower
Aubrey