First time hatching duck eggs!

[chickengrl87]

I am first timer here! I observed and helped my grandpa hatch several quail growing up but I am definitely no expert! I bought a Little Giant still air incubator and automatic egg turner yesterday. I let it run for 6 hours to insure it is functioning properly and seems to be doing so. I have three Australian Spotted Ducks (two hens, one drake). I haven't collected any eggs from my hens yet but when I do is it okay to store them at room temperature until I get atleast a dozen or so to put in the incubator at one time? Will they die? If anybody has any advice about hatching ducks please let me know! I haven't set up a brooder yet. Does anybody have any good advice about building one?

 

[Duckopolis]

You will need to incubate them for about 28 days. The temp should be at 99.5 degrees FAHRENHEIT. For ducks, the humidity should be around 45 to 55%. It doesn't matter AS much as the temp. If you want to spray your eggs, start at day seven and stop at day 23. The results of spraying are interesting as more moisture is lost from the egg. An egg should lose about 14% of its weight from when it was first put in the incubator. Misting the eggs changes the membrane a little bit so that more moisture is lost; it is good if you have a higher humidity. 60 degrees is the ideal holding temperature for eggs. they can be stored for 7 days with no problems. After that, the hatchability declines rapidly. When they hatch, leave them in the incubator for at least 6-8 hours or until they are dry. Don't let your curiosity ruin your hatch by opening up the incubator. Also, you might want to get a fan for you bator because it helps bring hatchability up by a lot. You can just use a storage bucket for a brooder. they clip the heat lamp to a piece of wood over it. I hope this helps!

 

[chickengrl87]

Thank you! Your information was very helpful!! I can't wait to get started!