Incubation Help

[kcrumpy1]

I am a classroom teacher, and was given a several breeds of duck eggs to hatch.
I started them on 3/27.
I know that some eggs will hatch around the 28th day and others could take up to 35 days. When is it save to stop the turner in my incubator?

Thank you,

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC!

Are any of the eggs Muscovy eggs?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/incubating-and-hatching-muscovy-eggs.63532/

Hatching by @Pyxis?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-beginners-guide-to-incubation.73350/

 

[kcrumpy1]

It's possible. Most of my eggs are white but I have a few blue/greenish eggs.

 

[casportpony]

It's possible. Most of my eggs are white but I have a few blue/greenish eggs.

Have you candles any of them lately?

 

[kcrumpy1]

Welcome to BYC!

Are any of the eggs Muscovy eggs?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/incubating-and-hatching-muscovy-eggs.63532/

Hatching by @Pyxis?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-beginners-guide-to-incubation.73350/

I was told I could have a mix of the following breeds: Pekins, Cayaugas, Blue Swedish, Muscovies, Indian Runners.....

 

[kcrumpy1]

Have you candles any of them lately?

Yes, about day 14 and saw lots of movement and then again today. Most of them looked pretty solid with a small bubble at the end.

 

[Ridgerunner]

As you are a teacher you might appreciate an explanation. There are two main reasons you turn the eggs. First is to keep the yolk and developing embryo from touching the inside of the porous shell. If they touch they can get stuck, which would be fatal. The other reason is that turning them helps the body parts to form in the right places. I don't hatch ducks, just chickens and an occasional turkey. But with chicken eggs by 14 days a membrane has formed around the embryo to protect it from that porous egg shell. That's a good thing because soon the embryo will be so big it will touch. And by 14 days the body parts have formed wherever they are going to form. So with chicken eggs you don't need to turn them after 14 days.

I don't know how that translates to duck eggs but I'd personally be quite comfortable stopping turning them after 25 days, the normal time you would for the 28 day eggs. I think Casportpony is heading a different, more scientific direction. I'll stay tuned.

 

[casportpony]

I think maybe @Pyxis and @WVduckchick might have some input. Hopefully they will answer soon. IMO, having the Muscovies complicates this somewhat because they take a week longer to hatch.

 

[rjohns39]

Hi and welcome to BYC We're so happy you've decided to join us

I stop on day 25 unless I hear chirping earlier.

 

[WVduckchick]

Any time after day 22-23 for mallard-derived ducks, is safe to stop turning, in my opinion.

I believe I would try to determine if any of the eggs are muscovies, because they would probably need to be turned a bit longer. Development should be comparatively less by day 24-25ish, so hopefully it would be obvious that some eggs have 10 or so days to go.