first time duck egg advice

[JHducks3]

hi
I'm new here and first time posting. today my welsh Harlequin duck eggs arrived in post. as advice by my duck book and the incubator shop UK Ive left them for a couple of hours upside down (pointy side down) in temperatures of 15C-18C to help them settle. Ive got a brinsea mini advance for them and Ive had it set up for four days and Ive got the humidity and temperature just right just looking for some advice from duck breeders or expert egg or just anyone with good experience any advice for a rookie? I'm a bit worried they wont hatch or something first time nerves kicking in!!
thanks guys
(by the way im putting eggs in incubator tomorrow morning)

 

[sumi]

Here's a very good article with a section specifically on shipped eggs that I think you will find helpful and informative:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101

It is about chicken eggs, but I found so many similarities between them and duck eggs (except the longer incubation!) that I'm sure it will help answer some of your questions. Best of luck with your hatch!

 

[JHducks3]

thanks for the link but i think ive killed my eggs already it said dont wash dirty eggs but i was advised my my duck book and the incubator shop uk to wash them so i did will my eggs not hatch now???? im panicking

 

[mrshaggie810]

I would try it anyways...if you didn't scrub them hard, there is a chance that the "bloom" (protective coating) is still in tact, but even if not, they might be perfectly fine....it doesn't automatically kill them, i just makes it more likely that bacteria can infect the egg.

 

[mominoz]

Well, I have to wash my duck eggs, no matter what I put in there to keep eggs clean, they must all just poo on them for jollies. That said, Storeys guide recommends , very warm water, and an antibacterial soap. I did that , but realise lots of soaps have and oil , which may clog pores, I have used very diluted bleach, and now I use nothing, just warm running water. The book does say to up the humidity about 10 percent for washed eggs. Some of my eggs hatch...but I am still on a learning curve with still air incubtors....Duck eggs usually only hatch at about a 65% rate if you are lucky in incubators it says.....

 

[sumi]

I've incubated washed duck eggs (didn't wash them myself - they were from a friend) and I incubated them as I would chicken eggs at 40-45% humidity and 65-75% for lockdown and hatch. I got a 100% hatch. The washing didn't harm them at all. So don't worry about that

 

[JHducks3]

Okay thanks guys my first time hatching ducks so really nervous I'm gonna put them in the incubator at 6:30 or 7 tonight