Is it okay to lock down duck eggs a day or two early?

[Jedstar]

Hello. Can I put my Pekin duck eggs down in lockdown a day early. Oh actually several hours early. Because it's lockdown day 25 tommorow. It's 11 pm at night here and my Duck eggs some of them are twitching already. So I thought shit might just put them down on the floor of incubator tonight.

 

[nuthatched]

Hello. Can I put my Pekin duck eggs down in lockdown a day early. Oh actually several hours early. Because it's lockdown day 25 tommorow. It's 11 pm at night here and my Duck eggs some of them are twitching already. So I thought shit might just put them down on the floor of incubator tonight.

You're going to have to make your own thread, this one is over six years old. Good luck with your ducks.

 

[evanoffmark7]

If your humidity is at around 55 right now, then don't lock them down, just leave them, let them go threw the process. If you are keeping your humidity at around 30 or lower then just raise it up to 50-55 when your fixing to leave.

Technically Lockdown is a simple word of "DON"T TOUCH". You see mama's and hens really don't know what Lockdown is it's a kind word for us so that we don't mess with the eggs. If you leave them alone you should be OK.

HOWEVER, if one or two of them have a hard time getting out of the shell, the only problem is your not going to be there to help could cause a problem for them. I think as long as you humidity is up to around 50 - 55 they should be OK. I take it you plan on not turning them at that time either, correct. Which will be good then for sure they should be in the Correct position. Hopefully they won't get stupid and be upside down.

Make sure when you stop turning them, the larger end is SLIGHTLY higher then the smaller end, this should help with giving them directions to aim for..and not end up upside down.

 

[evanoffmark7]

I would do my humidity up around 65% have always had better luck like that than at 55. Seem to have quite a few too dry when I keep the humidity that low. Usually do 45 to 55 until hatch time. Then just add the extra water and put two pieces of sponge in the water slots. This helps maintain humidity for longer. Hope this helps but you can usually do lockdown up to 5 days before hatch. I know alot of people that swear by 5 days anyway.

 

[Blueeyesliz]

Well first of all Duck eggs should not be on a turner unless you have them laying flat, if you have them in an Upright position, that could be why you lost most of them not because they hatched early. Chickens can be on a turner in the upright position but not ducks. I have learned from several years of experience. Now I tape my duck eggs to the turner but they are laying flat.

I have also left my chicken eggs on the turner because I forgot to lock them down and out of 4 eggs, all of them externally peeped and made it out safely that is once I heard my bator making this peeping noise. LOL what a shocker that was..I have actually had one of my chickens zipping while on the turner which was on and couldn't get out because again, I lay all my eggs flat and tape them to the turner well he couldn't get out because of the tape, he didn't have a problem getting that shell off but the tape was to hard for him to get past. Don't worry, I helped him and he's OK.. LOL kind of funny though..

Now all of my chicken eggs do and have hatched 3 days early but my duck eggs will only be 1 maybe 2 days early for some and the rest right on schedule, you should always use your due date no matter what unless you know about Dipping.

Dipping is another great way to tell if they should go into lockdown or not.

Why is that I wonder mine hatched from a turner?

 

[Lacrystol]

Why is that I wonder mine hatched from a turner?

They just seem to do better. I’m thinking perhaps cause they are longer in body. However, I’ve had some people tell me they have had luck hatching them in an upright position on the turner. It just doesn’t work well for me.