incubating Duck eggs

[missred871]

Goodness, I think I am on day 11 or 12, if I wasnt so lazy I would go look at the calender. I know they will take about 28 days but what I am unsure of is when they go into lock down, is it the same as quail and chickens? 3 days before hatch day? hmmmm...... and does that mean day 25 or day 24? LMAO. I am a loon. Never hatched ducks before..... But they are just soooo darn awesome! I love them! I have pekin/runner/swedish/rowen mixes in the bator.... no telling what kind of hodge podge I will get. I started with 16 and am down to 7 (this is what I get for my first time?!) but I think I will be happy if I get 5 but 7 would be FANTASTIC! I hope hope hope I get some chocolates in the group.... I know it is a stretch but I can hope.


Well, next question, at lockdown, what should my temp and humidity be? I have heard anything from 70-100%..... this is confusing!

 

[jrobertson]

i am in about the same climate as you and hatch hundreds of ducks a year. you didn't mention the kind of incubator you have, so the reply will be somewhat vague. i use a large cabinet style incubator with three turning trays and a hatching tray. it has one humidity tray in front of the heating element and fan. in this climate which is already pretty humid, i do what is called dry hatching. i add no water at all when the eggs are placed in the bator and they stay that way till the 25th day when i put them into lockdown, i fill the humidity tray full. i do not cool or mist the eggs during incubation because i have not yet found a need for it. my hatches usually average between 90% and 95% hatch. not counting infertiles. asways make sure you are hasty when removing ducklings from the bator as the humidity can drop so rapidly that the eggs still only pipped can become shrinkwrapped by the drying membrane and trap the baby til death. it is a good idea to mist the remaining eggs when removing hatchlings. if later it requires me to mist and cool during incubation i will do so. but so far this has worked for me.