Thoughts on incubating chicken and duck eggs together

[chickenhelp11]

Hi! I have gotten 12 new eggs to incubate one of them being a duck egg. Does anyone know if I should incubate them together?

 

[Debbie292d]

I did it. Silkies and Pekins.

Lockdown for the duck eggs will be at the same time as the chicken eggs, though, which is fine, as that last week of rotating isn't so important.

I split the difference on humidity and instead of 70% for my usual chicken egg lockdowns, I went with 60%. The chicks hatching raise it.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hi! I have gotten 12 new eggs to incubate one of them being a duck egg. Does anyone know if I should incubate them together?

I assume you are talking about in an incubator, not under a broody hen?

The big issue for me is that duck eggs take longer to hatch than chicken eggs. Depending on what type of duck laid the egg, it may take 4 weeks or 5 weeks for it to hatch. The way I did that with turkey and chicken eggs was to start the turkey eggs early so hatch day was the same. Since you already have the chicken eggs I'd not want to wait another week to start them. I don't know how old they are or how they are being stored.

The temperatures you want for duck and chicken eggs are the same so no issues there. Turning is different but I'd just stop turning the duck egg when you stopped turning the chicken eggs. It should not matter that much. Debbie covered humidity.

It is not an ideal situation. Since you have 11 chicken eggs and one duck egg I'd do everything in favor if the chickens and hope for the best for the duck egg. I think you have a reasonable shot at it working. At this point, what do you have to lose? And it will make a good story.