Unknown mixed eggs - Incubating both Muscovy and Pekin eggs at the same time?

[mommyjess]

We have both Pekins and Muscovies on purpose to raise meat birds. Two males of each breed and 7-8 females of each breed. The males don't care which females they mate with, so mules or hinnies are possible. This is our first year. We thought our Muscovies would be good at hatching out eggs for both breeds. We've decided to incubate a batch as spring has arrived, but now realize we may have a problem. We have no idea which eggs are laid by the pekins and which by the muscovies, so are worried about the different incubation time and need for different humidities at different times in the hatching process. And when to stop rotating the eggs for a lockdown? Is this doomed to be a failure? Anyone know or have any experience?

 

[Floof]

I would think you could candle them before lock down and see a visible difference. I imagine by day 25 the pekins will have filled the shell and there would still be some space for the muscovy. I've never done it myself but that's what I would try. Do you have a separate lock down incubator?

 

[Floof]

If you lock down without separating them you run the risk of having soggy muscovies and subsequent health issues. I tried this with chicken and quail once and my orpingtons hatched with health issues and too much water retention. They looked swollen and there were a lot of late quitters and then early deaths for the ones that did hatch. It isn't hard to make a separate hatching incubator since you don't need an egg turner in there.

 

[Ratchnick]

Crosses hatch at 31 or 32 days i think. Its going to be a problem, just decide what you would rather have and lockdown at the appropriate time for that.

 

[CaliFarmsAR]

There is no way to be able to tell the difference. I would lock down at a in between time.

 

[Ratchnick]

How do others do staggered hatches successfully and get away with it. Some people on here say they never stop adding eggs and hatching do they have a more complex incubator? Just wondering.

The proper way to do it is to have an incubator and a separate lockdown.

 

[cmobley]

What if you lockdown on day 27 instead of the typical 3 days earlier. Leave all of em in lockdown taking out ones that hatch and dry get those out, anything without a noticeable pip roll it cause they get tumbled by the others anyway. And just do a drug out staggered type hatch. Only opening the bator to get out 24 hour old ducklings to keep your humidity and Temps more stable. Thats what I'd try to do. I know when I was hatching duck eggs I read several threads about them needing cool down periods for better hatching I started opening my bator for a little while misting eggs and closing. So opening a few days to get babies out may help others hatch getting that little cool down time.

 

[mommyjess]

What if you lockdown on day 27 instead of the typical 3 days earlier. Leave all of em in lockdown taking out ones that hatch and dry get those out, anything without a noticeable pip roll it cause they get tumbled by the others anyway. And just do a drug out staggered type hatch. Only opening the bator to get out 24 hour old ducklings to keep your humidity and Temps more stable. Thats what I'd try to do. I know when I was hatching duck eggs I read several threads about them needing cool down periods for better hatching I started opening my bator for a little while misting eggs and closing. So opening a few days to get babies out may help others hatch getting that little cool down time.

Thank you! Great idea!

 

[Ratchnick]

What if you lockdown on day 27 instead of the typical 3 days earlier. Leave all of em in lockdown taking out ones that hatch and dry get those out, anything without a noticeable pip roll it cause they get tumbled by the others anyway. And just do a drug out staggered type hatch. Only opening the bator to get out 24 hour old ducklings to keep your humidity and Temps more stable. Thats what I'd try to do. I know when I was hatching duck eggs I read several threads about them needing cool down periods for better hatching I started opening my bator for a little while misting eggs and closing. So opening a few days to get babies out may help others hatch getting that little cool down time.

If you do this the moscovy are going to not hatch well. The air cells will not be large enough.

 

[Ratchnick]

Anything you do will be a compromise. So pick the breed you want the most of (pekin, cross, or moscovy) use the proper parameters for whatever you pick and you will probably get some of everything.