If the temperature inside of the incubator is not adjusted appropriately during this time frame the danger of the duckling embryos increases substantially. The growing duckling embryos will cause the temperature to increase inside the incubator during the last week to 10 days before hatching.īecause of this natural temperature increase during the final stage of duck egg incubation, more frequent monitoring of the temperature becomes necessary.
The incubator should always be warmed to 98 degrees before placing the freshly laid duck eggs inside.ĭuck eggs should be incubated at a temperature that ranges from 99.3 to 99.6 degrees F. I have often had the best duck egg incubation hatch rates when keeping the humidity level between 45% to 55% for the initial 25 days, and then increasing it to 65% for just the last three days The Right Temperature Level When attempting to incubate duck eggs laid by older hens, it is sometimes helpful to increase the relative humidity level to 75 percent (or 92 to 94 degrees F on a wet bulb thermometer) because such eggs are often far more porous.īecause incubating duck eggs requires a higher humidity level than hatching chicken eggs, it is not recommended to attempt to place both types of eggs in an incubator at the same time.Īlso, the increased humidity level and time frame for hatching duck eggs can increase the chances for bacteria to bloom to occur. If the incubator has a “wet bulb” thermometer, it should read between 85 to 88 degrees to achieve proper humidity levels. To successfully incubate duck eggs the humidity level should remain between 55 to 65 percent at all times. Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Incubating Ducklings (Start To Finish) Everything You Need To Know | Gold Shaw Farm Sent Us Eggs!!! () The Right Humidity To Incubate Duck Eggs Regardless of whether or not you choose to buy an incubator with an automatic turning arm or not, mark an “X” on each egg to help keep track of how the egg moves throughout the day.ĭuck eggs must shift position at least four times a day either manually or automatically to rotate them properly and increase the likelihood of hatching. I have had average to above average duck egg hatching rates in my incubators that boast automatic turning arms.īut, some folks garner equally good results in incubators that do not have an automatic turning arm or tray function and swear by them with equal vigor. While this is ideal for chicken eggs, which requires the air pocket turned upward to best facilitate breathing inside the egg, folks who do not favor automatic turning arms are concerned this type of positioning place the larger duck eggs too close to the heating element in the incubator.įluctuations of just five degrees on any part of the duck egg can cause significant hatching problems. This reason alone was enough to convince me that purchasing incubators with an automatic turning arm was the best way to go.Īn automatic turning rack does not actually turn the eggs, but rocks them back and forth.
BUYING AN INCUBATOR FOR EGGS MANUAL
An automatic turning arm or rack negates the need to for manual turning of the eggs multiple times per day.īecause duck eggs are much more susceptible to negative effects from humidity changes (even extremely brief ones) than chicken eggs, an automatic turning arm prevents the need to open the incubator lid multiple times per day to turn the eggs. This is a hotly debated question among duck keepers. If the duck hen attempts to sit the egg and/or the weather is fairly warm, a two or sometimes three day old egg might remain viable enough to hatch in an electric incubator. If you do not collect eggs every day and the hen refuses to sit, the viability of the egg is greatly reduced. The duck egg incubation period begins as soon as the egg is laid. At What Temperature Should I Incubate Duck Eggs?ĭuck eggs should be incubated at 99.5 ☏ (37.5 ☌). Do not expect a duck egg to hatch at 21 days like a chicken egg or give up on a duck egg before the 35 (to even 38) day mark. This 28 to 35 day time frame should help guide you through the incubation process. Muscovy duck eggs typically take up to 35 days to hatch. It takes Pekin duck eggs about 28 days to hatch. The incubation period for duck eggs varies at least slightly by breed. How Long Does It Take To Incubate A Duck Egg? Either the large incubator shown in the photo above with egg opening style trays or the smaller incubator below that have open trays, can be easily used to incubate duck eggs.
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