I'm Building an Incubator - please don't bother asking permission to laugh at me

[CallHowe]

i would get a dozen eggs and hope for a 40-50% hatch rate

Ideally you should keep 3, that way if something happens to one you don't have a lonely duck. But if you keep 4 then your backup duck will have a back up. But when hatching ducks at least 50% will be male so you'd better try to hatch 6. Unfortunately not all eggs will hatch so add in 2 more as just in case not everybody hatches. Then factor in early duckling mortality and you'd better just try to incubate a full dozen........just to be safe

Oh god, my girlfriend is going to kill me, so 12 eggs then?

I have only really looked at keeping two ducks before with their house and a mobile run that would probably be around 14x8, how many ducks would you keep in that space? they will also be allowed to come out of their run a few times a week for a few hours and there would be a pond in the run.

 

[DwayneNLiz]

Ideally you should keep 3, that way if something happens to one you don't have a lonely duck. But if you keep 4 then your backup duck will have a back up. But when hatching ducks at least 50% will be male so you'd better try to hatch 6. Unfortunately not all eggs will hatch so add in 2 more as just in case not everybody hatches. Then factor in early duckling mortality and you'd better just try to incubate a full dozen........just to be safe

Oh god, my girlfriend is going to kill me, so 12 eggs then?

I have only really looked at keeping two ducks before with their house and a mobile run that would probably be around 14x8, how many ducks would you keep in that space? they will also be allowed to come out of their run a few times a week for a few hours and there would be a pond in the run.

i have 3 in a 2x3 dog house but they come out during the day

 

[Chaos18]

Oh god, my girlfriend is going to kill me, so 12 eggs then?

I have only really looked at keeping two ducks before with their house and a mobile run that would probably be around 14x8, how many ducks would you keep in that space? they will also be allowed to come out of their run a few times a week for a few hours and there would be a pond in the run.

I think ducks have about the same space requirements as chickens. I currently house my 5 ducks with about 15 chickens and they all share a 40x40 run. So a 14x8 run would be alright for your ducks.

 

[CallHowe]

i have 3 in a 2x3 dog house but they come out during the day

unfortunately having them free range without supervision wont be an option where I will be keeping them, hence why I wanted to give them a run with a pond for day to day use and the let them out to explore when I can devote some hours to watching them/clean them out.

 

[CallHowe]

I think ducks have about the same space requirements as chickens. I currently house my 5 ducks with about 15 chickens and they all share a 40x40 run. So a 14x8 run would be alright for your ducks.

I'm just worried about ending up with 6+ ducks as surely they would be cramped in that space?

 

[Chaos18]

I'm just worried about ending up with 6+ ducks as surely they would be cramped in that space?

It might be a little cramped but if you only keep all females or only have one male and the rest females then you shouldn't have to big of a problem.

 

[DwayneNLiz]

I'm just worried about ending up with 6+ ducks as surely they would be cramped in that space?

you could eat any extras you get
or sell/give away

 

[CallHowe]

I'm one of those dang vegetarians, I would happily give any to a good home though, ok I'm on my way home now, I will have a chat with my girlfriend and then go on the search for a dozen hatching eggs!

 

[BantyChooks]

e

 

[BullChick]

Chaos, I haven't looked it up, but I think ducks need twice the room of a chicken. At least my Muscovies did. I don't think my Pekin do.