Incubating Duck eggs-tips please

[MissD]

Hello! I too am hatching some ducklings! I have 30 eggs right now, there are 20 Call eggs and 10 Cayuga eggs. This is my first time doing Cayugas. I am a 2nd grade teacher and I do this project with my students every year. I usually do calls. Last year I did Pekins and none hatched, it was the first time that had happened and my students so so disappointed! I am hoping we have better luck this year. We candled our eggs today and could see substantial growth in all but 6. We had 4 clear eggs and 2 blood rings that we threw out. We are going to candle again on day 14.

I do have a question.....where can I get something to measure the humidity digital? I think that would be easier for my kids to check. Thank you!

 

[2ducky]

I was smart enough to sell my Sportsman incubator to buy a Brinsea, and now Brinsea is out of stock! So I have had to start up my Hovabator. Now I have an all-in-one temp/humidity gage in there. What should my humidity gage read? I have it at 70. Is this right? Sorry, just really could use the help as it is only my second year incubating.

 

[2ducky]

I was really hoping that someone out there could HELP! Does anyone have any expertise with hovabators. If not, it's ok.

 

[sunket77]

Quote:
what would be your suggestion for using and egg turner? I am about to be doing a duck/ chicken hatch maybe I could put wet paper towel between the duck eggs on the turner?

 

[Sweetfolly]

I tried dry-incubating with my latest batch of duck eggs. I didn't add any water to the 'bator, and the humidity was around 30% for days 1 through 25 - I bumped it up to 68% for lockdown, and once they started hatching and drying out, the humidity went up to 75%.

Today's day 28 and I have 3 out, and 1 pipped (out of my 4 eggs).

Humidity during Days 1-25 for duck eggs isn't an exact science - my 30% isn't going to work for everyone; just candle the eggs and monitor the air cells. I expected my eggs to dry out too quickly, and I was sure I'd have to add water to the 'bator, but the air cells grew at a perfect rate throughout the incubation period.

In the book Keeping Ducks and Geese by Chris and Mike Ashton, it actually suggests that duck eggs usually require a lower humidity than chicken eggs during the course of the incubation. The actual quote from the book reads: Note that waterfowl eggs do not need more water than chicken eggs; generally they need less. Correct water loss is crucial to successful hatching.