Need a little help with these duck eggs !

[Sarah91]

what the hell 30% to 45%? where did you see that? what incubator do you have?

I also seen that percentage from someone on a thread on here

 

[CSKA]

In insulated incubators / meaning incubators that retain most of the moist comming from the eggs (not your case), they recommend for duck 45-55%, in non-insulated it should be targeted between 50-55%. Problem with duck is that it takes a very long time to incubate, it will loose a lot more weight in that time than chicken. Also shell is much thinner than chicken so looses much more. Do you have any water at all in the incubator? I find it hard to believe you can reach 30% at that temperature, unless you live in an arid desert.

 

[Sarah91]

In insulated incubators / meaning incubators that retain most of the moist comming from the eggs (not your case), they recommend for duck 45-55%, in non-insulated it should be targeted between 50-55%. Problem with duck is that it takes a very long time to incubate, it will loose a lot more weight in that time than chicken. Also shell is much thinner than chicken so looses much more. Do you have any water at all in the incubator? I find it hard to believe you can reach 30% at that temperature, unless you live in an arid desert.

So i should be at 50% - 55% ?
I do yes , i have a small inhaler cap filled which did keep me at the percentages i mentioned first and if i add a little water to a tray it takes it up to between 50%-55%

Im in the UK so its quite cold at the moment , and i have an old house so hard to heat all rooms

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

I run 45% humidity and my eggs loose exactly what they should at 14%
My air cells look good

 

[CSKA]

So i should be at 50% - 55% ?
I do yes , i have a small inhaler cap filled which did keep me at the percentages i mentioned first and if i add a little water to a tray it takes it up to between 50%-55%

Im in the UK so its quite cold at the moment , and i have an old house so hard to heat all rooms

I started having higher hatch rates (last time 100% 17 out of 17) for ducks at 50+ (not chicken though). But if your incubator is reading in the 30s with water inside is because the hygrometer is wrong - don't trust it, that value is nonsense.

 

[Sarah91]

I started having higher hatch rates (last time 100% 17 out of 17) for ducks at 50+ (not chicken though). But if your incubator is reading in the 30s with water inside is because the hygrometer is wrong - don't trust it, that value is nonsense.

Thank you , im between 50/55% now , fingers crossed my little duck makes it and its good to know all this info for next time as im assuming my little duck will need a friend

 

[CSKA]

Thank you , im between 50/55% now , fingers crossed my little duck makes it and its good to know all this info for next time as im assuming my little duck will need a friend

Note that what I meant is that if the hygrometer was reading below 40, even having water inside, then the hygrometer could be wrong (very typical in budget incubators). If you have increased the water, to 50/55 the actual number could be much higher. I have multiple hygrometers, and they read very different numbers in the same place.

I would keep some water inside but not go overboard. In my experience duck eggs are very tolerant to high humidity but not to low humidity. So you have a safety level.

 

[Sarah91]

Note that what I meant is that if the hygrometer was reading below 40, even having water inside, then the hygrometer could be wrong (very typical in budget incubators). If you have increased the water, to 50/55 the actual number could be much higher. I have multiple hygrometers, and they read very different numbers in the same place.

I would keep some water inside but not go overboard. In my experience duck eggs are very tolerant to high humidity but not to low humidity. So you have a safety level.

Right ok thank you for that