Duck incubation and hatching- UPDATE wild ducks?

[sarahhof]

Hi! I just got 12 eggs, of an unknown breed, and already having been incubated for a week. I was wondering if someone could correct me if my information is wrong and maybe give me some tips on how to raise and incubate them!

From what I have read, ducks are similar to chickens in hatching, right? They need about the same temperature and humidity, and need to be turned three times a day. i think it will take about 28 more days until hatching, the farmer said. I don't really trust him though because he didn't even know what breed they were. I don't really know how long they should be incubated for... (Help!) When do I stop turning and when should I expect hatching?

This is the incubator:

Should I take out the holder and put a towel down, laying the eggs on their sides even though they have been incubating facing up and down like that for a week? When I stop turning them should I do it then? I hand turn them, so far I have just been flipping them over three times a day- is this right?

Please help, I really appreciate it!!

Thanks!

 

[dotknott]

Farmer is right, 28days, though 35 if they're muscovies. Stop turning at day 25. I don't know what humidity chicken eggs incubate at, but I thought ducks were a tad higher.
IIRC duck eggs should be on their sides, not ends. But I've never hatched any way other than on the side. Maybe another member can chime in on that!

 

[peebee]

During lockdown the humidity should be around 70%-75% and if you think they aren't pipping bring it up to 80% but nothing above that.and turn them every 6 hours. You should candle one and use a chart to determine its approximate age then you'll know when day 25 rolls around. Just remember that it's okay if they don't all hatch the same day or exactly on day 28 peeper take time. But if some hatch and others don't wait 24 hours then raise humidity to 80% then once you see internal pips give them another 12 maybe 24 before researching assisted hatching but that shouldn't happen you should be good

 

[peebee]

 

[chickengal512]

Eggs in a nest naturally lie on their sides, not their ends. Im with dotknott that ive only ever hatched eggs on their ends. But that doesnt mean its necessarly bad to have them stand in ends.

 

[sarahhof]

Thanks for the replies I went ahead and took them off the rack and put them side down on a towel, I just hope it doesn't interrupt their development- I'm freaking out now lol XD

Unfortunately, this incubator doesn't have a humidity gauge, and I don't have one either, so I'm just putting water up to the max level and hoping for the best. I used this same incubator before with chickens and got 9 hatched, which is about the same I got with an incubator with a gauge so I think it's okay (I hope)

 

[chickengal512]

Dont worry about the little extra movement they had, if they were under a hen they would be moved when ever she moved.

 

[sarahhof]

Thanks for the advice! Apparently my neighbors dogs scared away a mother duck, who was nesting a few eggs. We waited two days but she showed no sign of returning, so my neighbor gave the eggs to us to incubate....the eggs feel kinda heavy so I think there might be chicks inside them but it's too early to tell.. She said the duck arrived this weekend, but she doesn't really know. I don't really know what kind they are either. Can someone please help me P_P


Here are the four eggs:

I think the other ducks started incubating before them, so will the hatching chicks disturb these babies? Because the chicks are from the wild, will diseases they bring affect the other ducklings?

Will the bigger ducklings bully the wild ones (the wild eggs are much smaller), and maybe possibly kill them?

Help!! Thanks!

 

[dotknott]

You'll want to candle the wild ones to see how far along they are compared to your others.

 

[chickengal512]

Coincidentally the day my chicks were hatching my dog brought 2 ducklings and 2 ducklings that were still hatching(!!) they shared the incubator and spent their early life together and i never had any of them get sick. If they hatch at the same time there shouldnt be any behavioral issues between the species.