Muscovy Incubation, by Broody or Incubator

[Ren2014]

Are Scovy eggs harder to incubate? Do they need more moisture?
P

O wow, I just noticed your avatar. Is is an Ayam Cemani?

 

[2crazyflockers]

Thank you and welcome.  Have you incubated Muscovy eggs or have a broody?  My first attempt at incubating Muscovy eggs produced only 2 hatches and I had to help them both out of their eggs.  One died at about 4 wko My last attempt of 7 I had 5 go into lock down and all 5 died around day 31 or 32  Only one of them made the turn to internal pip position but it didn't pip.

oh my! I have 3 broodies at the moment which it pains me to say after hearing your troubles we hatched 6 almost a month ago and had to help 2 that were early and had unabsorbed yolk both are OK. We have 2 others sitting on eggs and the third that just hatched her clutch is back to making another nest!

 

[MinnesotaNice]

I put my 4 eggs into lockdown last night, but I'm not optimistic. They didn't look good. We'll see what happens.

I have 8 more in a different incubator that are all fertile and looking good, but I think I'll try to stick them under one of my broody Scovie hens. Right now, I have one sitting on 18 eggs and another on 5 or 6 I believe. I just don't know what will happen with the incubating process being a week apart in the eggs. I worry she'll discard the unhatched.

I wish I knew what it was that causes them to be so difficult to incubate.....

 

[2crazyflockers]

I put my 4 eggs into lockdown last night, but I'm not optimistic. They didn't look good. We'll see what happens.

I have 8 more in a different incubator that are all fertile and looking good, but I think I'll try to stick them under one of my broody Scovie hens. Right now, I have one sitting on 18 eggs and another on 5 or 6 I believe. I just don't know what will happen with the incubating process being a week apart in the eggs. I worry she'll discard the unhatched.

I wish I knew what it was that causes them to be so difficult to incubate.....

I can only speak for what we did during our very first hatch so we are by far experts but if you take the hatched ducklings from mama she will continue to sit until the others hatch ours stayed broody. She then also adopted our silkie babies as her own! I don't know if this is every scovy mama or just ours but thought I'd offer up our experience! Good luck!!

 

[MinnesotaNice]

I can only speak for what we did during our very first hatch so we are by far experts but if you take the hatched ducklings from mama she will continue to sit until the others hatch ours stayed broody. She then also adopted our silkie babies as her own!

I don't know if this is every scovy mama or just ours but thought I'd offer up our experience! Good luck!!

Good to know. They're best bet is with mom, so I'll give it a shot. I would like to think she'll also be able to tell they're good fertile eggs and will continue sitting on them.

You have a very good momma there!

 

[Ren2014]

oh my!

I have 3 broodies at the moment which it pains me to say after hearing your troubles

we hatched 6 almost a month ago and had to help 2 that were early and had unabsorbed yolk both are OK. We have 2 others sitting on eggs and the third that just hatched her clutch is back to making another nest!

Thank you.

for your broodies. WOW, that's a serious girl or do they all start another nest right after??

I put my 4 eggs into lockdown last night, but I'm not optimistic. They didn't look good. We'll see what happens.

I have 8 more in a different incubator that are all fertile and looking good, but I think I'll try to stick them under one of my broody Scovie hens. Right now, I have one sitting on 18 eggs and another on 5 or 6 I believe. I just don't know what will happen with the incubating process being a week apart in the eggs. I worry she'll discard the unhatched.

I wish I knew what it was that causes them to be so difficult to incubate.....

I can only speak for what we did during our very first hatch so we are by far experts but if you take the hatched ducklings from mama she will continue to sit until the others hatch ours stayed broody. She then also adopted our silkie babies as her own!

I don't know if this is every scovy mama or just ours but thought I'd offer up our experience! Good luck!!

Good to know.

Good to know. They're best bet is with mom, so I'll give it a shot. I would like to think she'll also be able to tell they're good fertile eggs and will continue sitting on them.

You have a very good momma there!

X2

 

[Ren2014]

I know this is off topic, but I had a reeealllly bad day here today. A bobcat got one of my buff orpingtons and we found another chicken snake. I'm soo bummed. I'm ready to move to the city!

 

[Patriciaallison]

I'm sorry to hear about your pain! I get that way also! The mud the bugs the predators! Just remember we are living in a wild kingdom it's our want to domesticate everything. A farmer friend told me "always have more then you think you need because you will lose plants animals and time to prediction" itreally sucks I know! I've only been at this for a year now so I'm not one to give advice just a little wisdom given to me by a lifetime farmer. Besides city Schmitty what does the city have that we don't ( more rotten people to deal with) smog noise and cement!

 

[MinnesotaNice]

@Ren2014 , sorry to hear about your orp. It's always a tough loss.

Day two of lockdown and no movement from the eggs or chirps. Not sure if that's typical with ducks. I haven't opened the bator to candle for movement, but will tomorrow. I think 4/4 are quitters.

I did a quick candle of the eggs my broody muscovy hen is sitting on and I'm seeing good fertility so far

I still plan on getting the 8 I have in another bator under a broody. I have two broody hens right now, but they're first time "cluckies", so I don't know if I want to take the risk. I've noticed most of my broody chickens nest hop.

 

[Ren2014]

I'm sorry to hear about your pain! I get that way also! The mud the bugs the predators! Just remember we are living in a wild kingdom it's our want to domesticate everything. A farmer friend told me "always have more then you think you need because you will lose plants animals and time to prediction" itreally sucks I know! I've only been at this for a year now so I'm not one to give advice just a little wisdom given to me by a lifetime farmer. Besides city Schmitty what does the city have that we don't ( more rotten people to deal with) smog noise and cement!

Thank you. Good points about the city.

@Ren2014 , sorry to hear about your orp. It's always a tough loss.

Day two of lockdown and no movement from the eggs or chirps. Not sure if that's typical with ducks. I haven't opened the bator to candle for movement, but will tomorrow. I think 4/4 are quitters.

I did a quick candle of the eggs my broody muscovy hen is sitting on and I'm seeing good fertility so far

I still plan on getting the 8 I have in another bator under a broody. I have two broody hens right now, but they're first time "cluckies", so I don't know if I want to take the risk. I've noticed most of my broody chickens nest hop.

Thank you.

ooo no, I sure hope they are not quitters. You will hear chirps when they pip internally.

YAY for the good fertility!

for ya.

I've only ever had two broody chickens and one turned out to be an egg eater. She went to the broody breaker pen real quick. The only duck I had went broody on 14 eggs. All but one hatched. It was her first time to go broody and my first broody duck. I had no idea the whole bunch of them were going to hatch. She was a great momma but I'm not going to raise anything else but Muscovies from here out and luckily she hasn't tried to go broody.