Need advice on Duck eggs

[thedoors5to1]

hello,
looking for someone who knows alot about hatching duck eggs and is currently hatching some using a bator.
im Trying to hatch more mallard indian runner eggs ,my first ones of this season were unsucessful. i hatched duck eggs as a kid and want to expeirence having runners again. Im using a thermal air flow hovabator my questions are:
ive heard varying suggestions on humidity for duck eggs. i know the temp is 99.5 - 99.7 but im looking to ask someone whos hatching now what they themselves keep it at, during the development, and then the hatch time.

next i'd like to know if its ok to use a "exoterra" brand, temperature & humidity gauge for my bator. the gauge that came with my bator doesnt have humidity on it, and the glue dried and its no longer stuck to the back, thus i dont know what temp its at.

and lastly, is three times a day for turning o.k.? and if not how many times should i turn them? or should i just invest in auto. turner?

thankyou so much,

 

[lilchik]

I have hatched Call duck eggs successfully. I keep the temp at 99.5, drop 1 degree at a hatch time. I keep the humidity 60-70% for duck eggs.

I am not familiar with the exoterra brand guage, so I can not comment on that. As long as you have a reliable true reading of temp. & humidity, any brand would work. After getting your bator up & running, check the temp with a least two sources to make sure it is correct. I learned that the hard way. I used a high tech digital incubator, trusting the digital reading was correct...wrong.

As far as turning, I recommend an auto turner. I have much better success with them than hand turning.

Hope this helps!