misting and cooling duck hatching eggs

[Christopher12]

Today I am putting 15 mallard duck eggs in a little giant circulated air incubator. This is my first time hatching duck eggs and I was wondering if I should mist and cool them or not, and if I do, how would I mist and cool the eggs and for how long? I have heard that if you do it incorrectly, that it can damage the membrane

. I really need to know how to mist and cool them!

 

[weimarmama]

. Glad you joined us.

Some people don't mist or cool off ducks & some do. I think it's one of those things that you have to decide what works best for you. I'm one that does do the misting & cool off period & have had great results. Even how it's done is slightly different, though, from person to person. Some people use room temp water, some use warm water, some start at 5 days, others a little later, etc. I mist with room temp water starting after day 7 & only once a day, but like I said everybody is different.

Here's a link to Metzer's incubation page with lots of info: http://www.metzerfarms.com/IncubatingAndHatching.cfm
And a few threads about misting/cooling off: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=407237
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=168794
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=481090&p=1

Good luck & hope you have a great hatch

 

[Christopher12]

Thank you so much,

I have decided to mist and cool the eggs but I have no idea when to start cooling and misting the eggs. Some people start at day 7 and some start at day 10. Out of those two dates, which do you suppose is better?

And another question, when cooling and misting; do you take the eggs out of the incubator and set them on a towel, and after the eggs feel not to warn or not to cold, mist them with a misting bottle, then set them back in every day until its day 25, right?

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

I candle at day 3 and again on day 6. On day 7 I start misting them once a day with room temp water once a day. Candle again on day 10, remove clears if any and go forward.

 

[Christopher12]

Do you also cool?

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

They cool when misted, no real leave the top open and cool down.

 

[Christopher12]

thank you and I will follow your advise

 

[Glaseria]

I candle at day 3 and again on day 6. On day 7 I start misting them once a day with room temp water once a day. Candle again on day 10, remove clears if any and go forward.

Thank you for posting this! I've never even heard of misting and cooking the eggs. I'm super excited to give it a try though! Again thank you!

Sincerely,
Your Fellow Homesteader,
Glaseria

...

 

[Kathyandfowl]

Last year was my first time incubating duck eggs. I started misting and cooling on day seven untill day 24. 7 days later I added 3 or 4 chicken eggs. I couldn't believe I had a 100% hatch rate. Chicken eggs hatch much quicker. So be very patient with the duck eggs. Keeping the humidity at the correct setting is important. About 55 during incubation and increase during hatching.

Today I am putting 15 mallard duck eggs in a little giant circulated air incubator. This is my first time hatching duck eggs and I was wondering if I should mist and cool them or not, and if I do, how would I mist and cool the eggs and for how long? I have heard that if you do it incorrectly, that it can damage the membrane

. I really need to know how to mist and cool the