How Do I Hatch Duck Eggs?

[ColleenRyan]

This weekend my beloved pet ducks were taken and killed by a predator while they were spending some time in the yard like they did every evening. I had been letting the female duck keep the eggs she had been laying and putting the ones she laid in the yard into the hutch for her after I found that something had been stealing her eggs from the yard. The eggs range in age from being laid mid April to the day they were killed. They would mate everyday in their kiddie pool but I have no idea if any of the eggs are fetalized or what my chances are to hatch them.

All together I gathered about 24 eggs and brought them inside. I had a heat lamp on them for a few hours but my friend talked to her dad about it (he hatches eggs regularly) and he said to take the heat off and that they could stay in room temp until they can be put into an incubator. One of my friends who lives on a farm and hatches eggs offered to put the eggs in their nesting house so their chickens and ducks would lay on them.

What do you think my best bet is for hatching these eggs? Even if it’s only one, it’s my last chance to make a legacy for my ducks. I loved them so much. Should I purchase an incubator? Should I let other birds sit on them in a safe place? can I do it with a heat lamp and a regulated temp? Please please any advice is so appreciated and helpful. I’m desperate to hatch these eggs.

 

[Duck Lover88]

Yea don't but a heat lamp on them… if I was you I'd go buy a incubator and just put them in there to hatch…

 

[Ducksandchickens]

I don’t know squat about incubating eggs! Hope you get your answers!!!!!

 

[ColleenRyan]

Yea don't but a heat lamp on them… if I was you I'd go buy a incubator and just put them in there to hatch…

Just ordered one off amazon it should be here tomorrow. It’s one of the automatic turning ones too. Do you know anything about “candling” the eggs or what you’re supposed to do while they’re incubating? I know you must have to check them to see if there even fertilized and if they are fertilized you have to Check and make sure that they’re developing and alive. I’m just not sure what to be looking for or how to do this. I’m very overwhelmed and I feel like I’m on a tight time constraint

 

[chickens really]

Hello...
First setup the incubator and have it running at the right temperature and humidity..99.5 to 100..Humidity around 40%.
Put the eggs in pointy end down. The chances of the older eggs hatching is slim. After about 7 to 10 days you will see veins and possibly an embryo bouncing around when candled...Lockdown is day 26 when you up the humidity to about 60% and then don't touch the eggs or open the incubator. They begin hatching by day 28..It takes a couple of days from pipping the shell to actually hatching..