Incubating Muscovy eggs- Info wanted

[Sweetlilbaby]

I do NOT want to let a muscovy go broody. They are with my chickens and share a nest. I cannot own a rooster, but have a drake. So I wanted just once to try to hatch some muscovy ducklings and keep the cutest of the females, and then most of the males (for butchering).
I am having trouble finding info on incubating muscovy eggs. Anyone have good links or personal experience incubating them with an incubator?
I have a good incubator with chicken eggs in it currently, I'm in washington state so my ducks aren't layin eggs right now. I was hoping to hatch ducklings out in time for easter if possible and if I become good at hatching them considered seeing if the feedstores want to buy them from me. I love hatching eggs it's so much fun.
I also hope to hatch at least one duckling to hand raise so i can trust it and handle it a bit more. Right now my ducks wont leave the covered pen even when the gate is open. it's great and all but i want free range ducks to eat slugs.

 

[PlumTuckered]

I've had luck with incubation but not a lot of luck with the actual hatching in the incubator. Out of all the eggs I incubated (at different times) only two hatched successfully. You really can't beat a Muscovy Hen for incubating and hatching your eggs. I'm sure there are many that have had better luck than me, hope they chime in and give you some tips.

As for your ducks leaving the pen, try herding them out. If they've never been outside of it they can be timid about changing what they're used to. Slowly walk behind them, raising your left arm to turn them right, raising your right arm to turn them left and then watch them have fun

Michelle

 

[Sweetlilbaby]

I've had luck with incubation but not a lot of luck with the actual hatching in the incubator. Out of all the eggs I incubated (at different times) only two hatched successfully. You really can't beat a Muscovy Hen for incubating and hatching your eggs. I'm sure there are many that have had better luck than me, hope they chime in and give you some tips.

As for your ducks leaving the pen, try herding them out. If they've never been outside of it they can be timid about changing what they're used to. Slowly walk behind them, raising your left arm to turn them right, raising your right arm to turn them left and then watch them have fun

Michelle

Thanks for the advice on getting them out. I'm hoping that sometime they'd wander out on their own because when I'm not out there I'll have to put them back in the pen which may be hard to do. I live in the city so free ranging has to be watched. But if the ducks came out i'd probably stay outside longer.
I hope to be successful on hatching the eggs. But so far have only found one site that had any info. this is after days of searching. It's hard to compare info when there is only one site about it.

 

[PlumTuckered]

You are so welcome. You herd them back into their pen for evening or night time the same way. Most of my ducks got to the point that herding wasn't even needed, they are creatures of habit most of the time

I'm sure there are Members here that have had much luck hatching duck eggs...they probably just haven't seen your post yet.

Michelle

 

[Sweetlilbaby]

I hope so. I also need to work with my dogs at not chasing the ducks. they haven't done it yet but the dogs are interested in the drake because he hisses at the dogs. I'm pretty sure my dogs are thinking "that is one ugly cat"
I wish people that have successfully hatched muscovy eggs could make web pages describing how they did it. I'm sure there is more then one method. Same as chicken eggs. I might have to do it by trial and error this year. but that kinda sucks cause it takes over a month for them to hatch.

 

[PlumTuckered]

Yes Ma'am, you want to teach the dogs not to harm the ducks. We have 4 hunting dogs and they are great with my ducks, in fact quite often you'll see my dogs, ducks, cat, and one or two of my chickens all eating out of the same dish LOL My dogs even swim with my ducks in the pond during the hot summer days.

Michelle

 

[hdowden]

http://www.duckhealth.com/hatcduck.html

http://farmingfriends.com/incubating-muscovy-duck-eggs/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/incubating-and-hatching-muscovy-eggs

 

[Grassman 52]

HDOWDEN - Just posted some links, but I may be able to add a little because I have been working on hatching Muscovy eggs since December.

First of all - I was not planning on having eggs until spring,but the girls started laying and after a month I decided to put some in the incubator and give it a try. Currently have hatched 7 healthily ducks and have 4 more in lock down today (updated at 4:30pm 3 hatched one in process

). Been keeping the incubator with about 80 eggs in there - most are only half way through

Basic settings to start with:
Temp 99.5f forced air incubator
Humidity 30% to start with - then weight eggs weekly looking for 2.8% weight loss per week and adjust up or down (this is an area of great debate, but you have to start somewhere)
Turning with an auto turn through day 31 - 32 - after internal PIP into lock down (could take up to 4 more days)
Misting eggs daily after 10 days (optional)
Setting vertically in large egg trays

I am still learning and have a lot of DIS (dead in shell) ducks that failed to PIP internally
Fertility has been running around 70% eggs that make it until day 28 I have been getting a 50% hatch rate - not good, but I am making small adjustments with humidity and have already shared them with you


If I don't start getting a better hatch rate I will start setting eggs horizontally like goose eggs

 

[jdywntr]

This is what I do.



Without mom, I'd be useless, no incubator. LOL

 

[Sweetlilbaby]

HDOWDEN - Just posted some links, but I may be able to add a little because I have been working on hatching Muscovy eggs since December.

First of all - I was not planning on having eggs until spring,but the girls started laying and after a month I decided to put some in the incubator and give it a try. Currently have hatched 7 healthily ducks and have 4 more in lock down today (updated at 4:30pm 3 hatched one in process

). Been keeping the incubator with about 80 eggs in there - most are only half way through

Basic settings to start with:
Temp 99.5f forced air incubator
Humidity 30% to start with - then weight eggs weekly looking for 2.8% weight loss per week and adjust up or down (this is an area of great debate, but you have to start somewhere)
Turning with an auto turn through day 31 - 32 - after internal PIP into lock down (could take up to 4 more days)
Misting eggs daily after 10 days (optional)
Setting vertically in large egg trays

I am still learning and have a lot of DIS (dead in shell) ducks that failed to PIP internally
Fertility has been running around 70% eggs that make it until day 28 I have been getting a 50% hatch rate - not good, but I am making small adjustments with humidity and have already shared them with you


If I don't start getting a better hatch rate I will start setting eggs horizontally like goose eggs

Thanks. I have an egg turner. I planned to start them by setting them in the incubator in the egg turner. But just wasn't sure about the misting, how long they incubate, or humidity.