Why can't I hatch ducks?

[yotetrapper]

I have great luck hatching chickens, but I can't hatch ducks to save my life. The develop full term, but never pip. I'm at wits end here, and I dont know what to do different. I run between 40-50% humidity, with 60-70% the last few days.....

 

[emvickrey]

I have no idea. I have the same problem with chickens myself but I just wanted to give you a bump till somebody that does know comes along.

 

[kelseygirl707]

Maybe try upping the humidity. I usually do 60%-65% then up it to around 75% the last 3 days.

 

[duckluck]

Quote:
Duck eggs need to be on their sides and hand turned; also, follow Holderread's book about raising ducks and watch your air cells. Adjust the humidity according to how the air cells look on that chart, never mind the numbers until you get to the hatching stage. You may need to mist also, because that dehydrates the eggs. My experience with problems pipping has had to do with air cell size. You also need to bear in mind that in our climate here, conditions may not be the same from one month to the next as humidity changes here so rapidly.

 

[tia]

I set the temp at 99.5 and the relative humidity at 55% for the first twenty-five days, then lower the temp to 99 and raise the humidity to 65% the last three days. It is of course important to have an accurate thermometer and humidity gauge.

 

[Mom2Munchkins]

Quote:
Duck eggs need to be on their sides and hand turned; also, follow Holderread's book about raising ducks and watch your air cells. Adjust the humidity according to how the air cells look on that chart, never mind the numbers until you get to the hatching stage. You may need to mist also, because that dehydrates the eggs. My experience with problems pipping has had to do with air cell size. You also need to bear in mind that in our climate here, conditions may not be the same from one month to the next as humidity changes here so rapidly.

Do you have the link to the air cell chart???

 

[duckling 1234]

I had 11 of 12 hatch my first time. What I do is spray the eggs(LIGHTLY) with water once a day, and on the last three days I upped the humidity to 55%-60%. It sounds wierd, but it worked for me!

 

[sourland]

Yotetrapper, what breed of ducks are you trying to incubate? It is my understanding that call ducks are very difficult to hatch in an incubator.

 

[duckluck]

Quote:
Duck eggs need to be on their sides and hand turned; also, follow Holderread's book about raising ducks and watch your air cells. Adjust the humidity according to how the air cells look on that chart, never mind the numbers until you get to the hatching stage. You may need to mist also, because that dehydrates the eggs. My experience with problems pipping has had to do with air cell size. You also need to bear in mind that in our climate here, conditions may not be the same from one month to the next as humidity changes here so rapidly.

Do you have the link to the air cell chart???

No, I have the book and I keep a copy of the chart by my incubators. Sorry. I understand that the book is available to look at online though, or at least parts of it. I believe that the chart is on page 167 but I could be wrong about that.

 

[duckluck]

Quote:
Misting them helps to dry them out, which really helps if you are running with a too-high humidity that you can't help, like now when it is getting humid out, or if your incubator has to run with at least some water in the tank.