Duck Incubation time.. (first timers)

[chickens really]

Misting is when you spray the eggs down with water. It seems counter-intuitive, but it actually helps them lose moisture - the water evaporating off the shells draws moisture out through the pores. It mimics when a mother duck comes back from a swim wet and gets on the nest.

It's something that I don't usually do with large fowl duck eggs, because I find I generally don't need to do it, but it's something I always do with geese because it results in much better hatch rates for them.

If you get within a week of the hatch date and your air cells aren't looking good, misting will help them grow to the proper size. I've seen misting save entire hatches before when the air cells were too small. So, it's not something you need to do, but it is an option that you can utilize if it comes down to it.

Actually in theory that is incorrect.. misting early in hatching is thought to help..Drop humidity the week before hatching for two days if air cells are too small. Air cells naturally get bigger also..

 

[Pyxis]

Actually in theory that is incorrect.. misting early in hatching is thought to help..Drop humidity the week before hatching for two days if air cells are too small. Air cells naturally get bigger also..

Just out of curiosity, where did you get this information? If there is a study, I would love to read it Just asking because my experience has been the exact opposite, especially with geese, for which misting and cooling goes from about the sixth day right up to lockdown for best results, so not during the early incubation stages at all.

Air cells definitely do appear to get bigger right before hatch, when they go into draw down, but that is caused by the duckling getting into the hatching position, not sudden loss of moisture from inside the egg. Although I'm not sure if that's what you were talking about when you're saying air cells get bigger right before hatch.

 

[casportpony]

Just out of curiosity, where did you get this information? If there is a study, I would love to read it Just asking because my experience has been the exact opposite, especially with geese, for which misting and cooling goes from about the sixth day right up to lockdown for best results, so not during the early incubation stages at all.

Air cells definitely do appear to get bigger right before hatch, when they go into draw down, but that is caused by the duckling getting into the hatching position, not sudden loss of moisture from inside the egg. Although I'm not sure if that's what you were talking about when you're saying air cells get bigger right before hatch.

Another great post!

 

[Abraeri]

A quick question about misting - is it normal for the humidity to shoot up after misting? I just misted my duck eggs which are on day 10 and the humidity went up to 75 from 45. Is this normal? Or should I do something to try and reduce the humidity?

 

[Ravynscroft]

I never, ever mist early... only late in the incubation period *if needed*... it's easier to deal with too small of air cells than it is to deal with ones too big, too early...

I learned this from observing my best broody ducks, they'll bathe right before returning to the nest, but they leave themselves more wet the closer it is to hatch time...

 

[Pyxis]

A quick question about misting - is it normal for the humidity to shoot up after misting? I just misted my duck eggs which are on day 10 and the humidity went up to 75 from 45. Is this normal? Or should I do something to try and reduce the humidity?

Yep, that happens because the water on the eggs has created a larger surface area of water in the incubator, so the humidity goes up initially. But after it evaporates off the eggs, it drops back down, and sometimes it will even be lower than before you did the misting.

 

[Ravynscroft]

A quick question about misting - is it normal for the humidity to shoot up after misting? I just misted my duck eggs which are on day 10 and the humidity went up to 75 from 45. Is this normal? Or should I do something to try and reduce the humidity?

Yes, absolutely normal... once the water dries up, humidity will drop back down again... most times I have noticed that it even becomes lower than it was before misting... but be careful of water pooling in the bottom of the bator... one friend had that issue, so when we figured it out, she removed the eggs onto a towel to mist them then returned them to the bator...

 

[Abraeri]

Alright thanks so much for the quick replies It's my first time incubating and out of 12 9 have veins and none have quit by day 10 so I'm super excited but don't want to ruin them by doing something stupid

I have a water tray under my eggs, which are sitting on a wire mess, so water pooling at the bottom of the incubator shouldn't be a problem, right?

 

[Ravynscroft]

Alright thanks so much for the quick replies It's my first time incubating and out of 12 9 have veins and none have quit by day 10 so I'm super excited but don't want to ruin them by doing something stupid

I have a water tray under my eggs, which are sitting on a wire mess, so water pooling at the bottom of the incubator shouldn't be a problem, right?

It shouldn't, just watch spraying the sides of the bator... water droplets can run down the sides and under the tray... just monitor your humidity and if it doesn't return to the lower amount, check the inside of your bator...

 

[Abraeri]

Also how long is it okay for the humidity to stay at 70? I turned and spritzed them 2 hours ago and the humidity still hasn't gone down.