Tips on Hatching Domestic Duck Eggs

[pirtykitty]

I purchased an incubator last month.. Tuesday I started it up.. it is the incuCube incubator from incubatorwarehouse.com...
I have been doing some searching on the internet but get conflicting information on temperature and humidity to start and also at lock down..

I started the incubator up Tuesday and am working on regulating the temp right now..
I think it would be called a forced air.. I'm in central texas if that has any thing to to with temperature begininning and end of hatch and also humidity..
thank you

Oh I will start out with them laying on their sides as the turner came in broke.. am waiting for a new one..
my hydrometer/thermometer ( borrowed it) is a springfield precise. I also have a egg o meter but haven't tried to program it yet.. not sure on it..

 

[duckyfromoz]

I always lay mine on the sides in the incubator...So dont worry to much about the broken turner. I dont stress too much over the humidity- but watch the air cells as they give a good indication of the correct moisture in the incubator. 50 % to 55 % is what I aim for for the main incubation period and around 75- 80% when hatching. I try to maintain a temp of 99.7 throughout the incubation period too. I think everyone has a few tweeks they have made to there own incubator- or the way they hatch eggs...but I just do what I have found works best for me. Good luck with the eggs.. What breed are they???

 

[pirtykitty]

Thank you Duckyfromoz,
They are welsh harlequins... So theres not need to lower temperature for lock down like some sites say???

 

[duckyfromoz]

My hatcher might be just a degree or so lower than the incubator - as I use a still air incubator just for hatching but the lowest I let it go is 98.5 - But I dont really deliberately set the temp lower- It just tends to have hot and cold spots as the air doesnt circulate as well in a still air incubator. -. I usually drop it down to 90 once they have actually hatched and are fluffed up a bit.

Welsh Harlequins are so gorgeous. I am currently hatching some Harlequin Indian Runners...Just like the WH colour wise - But the body shape of Runners..I absolutley love them...Such beautiful birds.

 

[pirtykitty]

I don't have a hatcher at this time. Just the incuCube... I will be incubating them and hatching them in the same container.. So how should I handle the incubating temp. and the hatching temp..
The Welsh Harlequins are a lot of fun.. and smart too

 

[katharinad]

Keep it at the same temp. Also don't forget to mist the eggs wit warm water daily starting with day 4. BTW duck eggs do better laying on their sides. Putting them up on the pointy end will kill some of the eggs. They cannot be incubated like chicken eggs.
Katharina

 

[pirtykitty]

Thank you !!!! Katharina.