Whats your humidity at? When do you start to mist eggs?

[LilDucky85]

What do you keep your humidity at for duck eggs? Mine has been at a steady 78% but then rose to 81% after I started misting the eggs. I started misting at Day 4 although it’s recommended to start at Day 6 or 7. I know shame on me, I just thought they could use a little to drink. The first day I only lightly misted them once.

 

[DuckyBoys]

Quote:
I don't mist or cool (your other thread) and because I am in Colorado and we have almost zero humidity here

I am constantly adding water to my bator and I try to keep my humidity up at 65% because I wash my eggs. I am also constantly candleing though, though I'm sure they get a small cooling period everyday!

I have also noticed that my still air bator is much better at keeping the humidity steady because the forced air is constantly drying up all the water.

Last year I never cooled or misted my eggs and I hatched out a bunch of call ducks which are suppossed to be hard to hatch. I'd just be sure tht you don't get too many humidity spikes, maybe when you take them out to cool them you should mist them then, that way that water won't effect the inside humidity of the bator.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Yes, that's what I did with mine. I would mist them at the start of the cool down time so the humidity wouldn't raise too high.
You don't have to cool duck eggs. Some people do, and it won't hurt them a bit. You should probably keep your humidity around 65-70% during incubation, but just make sure to keep an eye on the size of the air cells to know for sure. Then for the hatch you can raise it up to 80%+.
It is also not necessary to cool them, but this also shouldn't harm them.

The only reason I misted and cooled mine was because they were being incubated with goose eggs at the same time, which I have been told have to be misted and cooled.

 

[LilDucky85]

So you think 81% is too high? Ive read a bunch of hatching websites and they all say 80% now Im confused!

 

[hatchcrazzzy]

1
Obtain duck eggs that have been fertilized.
Step2
Ensure that a proper incubator has been purchased or built. Incubators can simply be any enclosed box or area that can retain heat and has easy access to the eggs.
Step3
Make sure the temperature of the enclosure or incubator stays at approximately 99 to 99.5 degrees F for the first 25 days. Reduce the temperature to 98.5 degrees F on day 25 and allow incubating for an additional 3 days.
Step4
Control the humidity of the incubating duck eggs for the first 25 days to 86 percent. Adjust the humidity to 94 percent for the remaining 3 days.
Step5
Turn the duck eggs an odd number of times per day throughout the first 25 days. Three, five, and seven times are a common process. This allows the hatching duck eggs to "rest" in differing positions. Stop turning the duck eggs over the last 3 days.
Step6
Consider candling (placing a small, very bright flashlight at the top of the duck egg and shining light through) the duck egg after 7 days to check on the fertilization process.

 

[LilDucky85]

Quote:
Wow you got it down to a science lol.

Step one- check
Step two- check
Step three- check, check
Step four- check
Step five- check
Step six- check

So anyone else....now we have one saying lower the humidity, and another saying higher it?