How to get eggs to hatch at the same time?

[jmc]

If I want to have all the eggs one of my ducks lays hatch at the same time, for shipping purposes, for instance, how do you do that?

I've heard from a sound source that one good method is to take eggs away from hen--in this case a muscovy hen--and they can be kept in a cool place for 10 days. Assuming she lays an egg a day, collect the egg each day, place it with the others in temporary storage until day 10, then put em all under the laying hen and they'll all hatch the same day.

Wow.

I wonder about eggs that the hen lays AFTER you put the original 10 back under hen (e.g. if she lays on days 11 and 12)........will the last two also hatch with the others.

Shipping day olds for the amateur seems tricky business.....
?

 

[horsejody]

As far as i know, once a hen goes broody she stops laying.

 

[Wifezilla]

That's what I thought too. This is the reason I haven't tried this with my buff duck. I don't want to lose the egg production

 

[jmc]

thank you folks,

I am referring to eggs naturally incubated and intended to hatch for shipping ducklings..............

as distinct from eggs for eating.

We have Campbells as our laying flock.



Any experienced natural incubators/duck shippers out there?

 

[Cottage Rose]

Fr. John most people who ship use an incubator or have extra hens for setting on eggs
Yes if you let a hen go broody she will stop laying eggs but most of my Muscovies start up later in the summer and lay well into fall.

 

[Marlinchaser]

You will not get eggs from a broody

You take the eggs away daily till you are ready to ship, or have a hen sit. However just because you put 10 eggs under a hen does not mean she will sit. Until she decides to be broody you will just be putting eggs back in the coop for her to lay her egg in with.