How to properly incubate duck eggs

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Incubation of duck eggs allows you to get a large brood of healthy chicks almost simultaneously without the need to endure the whims of layers, which may refuse to incubate the offspring. Successful incubation, however, is not easy. First, you will have to carry out a strict selection of eggs, then you will need to store them in a special room with a suitable temperature and humidity. Only then can the incubator be turned on and bookmarked.

Incubation of duck eggs

The work of the poultry house does not end there. It is necessary to strictly follow the regime, because any violation of it can lead to egg spoilage and stop the development of embryos. Only if the incubation is carried out correctly, after 26 days, you can wait for the ducklings to appear. Supporting materials, such as a spreadsheet, will help structure the information.

Selection of material for incubation

Duck eggs for incubation should be ideal, the success of the entire event depends on this. You need to collect products that meet the criteria described below. Before bookmarking, you should check whether the selected copies fully meet these criteria. Selection is also needed if it was decided to lay the hatching on the "shoulders" of the hens.

1. Duck eggs are large and weigh 90 g, chicken eggs are much smaller. The shell of duck products is porous, white, with a greenish tint. In mute beetles, it is with a yellow tint and sometimes speckled. The material intended for incubation should not have cracks, build-ups, it is necessary that the shell is even. Defects mean that the product is absolutely unsuitable for further use, it is better to collect and dispose of such spoiled goods immediately.
2. It is desirable that the selected eggs are of the same size and shape.
3. You should choose specimens with as clean shells as possible. Ducks are dirty, they constantly stain the litter and even if they change it in time, they pollute everything that lies in the nest. Some houses offer to wash eggs before storing them. Their opponents believe that washing, on the contrary, is by no means impossible, since it is possible to damage the precious embryos, which, as a result of such "washing", are born weak and sick.

Transillumination helps both beginners and experienced breeders to be sure of the correct choice before laying. The procedure shows through all cracks and irregularities, and also determines the condition of the fetus and the presence of mold inside. The "correct" air chamber in the testicle is located near the apex. In a good egg, the white is transparent, and the yolk in the center does not spread.

Storage before incubation

Before placing the duck eggs in the incubator, they are sent for storage. The storage of duck eggs for incubation is necessary for the following reasons:

1. Eggs in storage have an increased chance of hatching.
2. During the cold season, eggs will die if they are left in the nest in the care of a laying hen.

After selection and before bookmarking, it will be correct to clean dirty specimens.It is impossible to wash by mechanical means, as this harms the chicks. It is necessary to wash carefully, the treatment is carried out with an antiseptic solution, carefully dipping it into the substance.

The next step is to lay the eggs vertically on the shelves.

Storage rules imply suitable humidity and air temperature. Choose a dark and cool room for this event. The air temperature should not be less than 8 ° С and not more than 14 ° С. Humidity - up to 75%. The eggs are turned four times a day. The maximum shelf life is 7-8 days. Older eggs hatch poorly and it makes no sense to lay them in an incubator.

Incubation - basics

Breeding ducklings in an incubator at home will only be successful if you follow the rules. They say that rules exist to be broken, but incubation of mistakes does not forgive, and innocent little chicks have to pay for them. The necessary equipment is a high-quality incubator, time and patience, which must be stocked up for the entire period of incubation of duck eggs.

The mode change schedule will help you more or less accurately determine the mode change. In the video, you can take a closer look at the nuances of incubation. There are few secrets, but they are, and they should be taken into account in the work, for example, the location of the eggs.

Novice poultry houses often wonder how to properly lay duck eggs in an incubator. Duck eggs are placed in the incubator vertically, with the pointed end down, but this does not apply to all breeds. Indoor is a different bird, not only in appearance and character, there are also peculiarities in her breeding. For example, how to lay duck eggs in an incubator if they were bred by musky ducks? They are not laid vertically, but horizontally.

How many days ducklings are hatched in an incubator also depends on the breed. The incubation period of domestic duck lasts 27 days, and the time for breeding Indo-Ducks is about 32-35 days. Ducklings have to mature longer, for example, chickens hatch by 21 days. Air temperature and humidity vary, and the root of the difference lies in the eggs immersed in the incubator. The conclusion is clear: the incubation regime is not the same, and before taking on the hatching of chicks, you should first familiarize yourself with the specifics of their breed. The step-by-step instructions and table presented in the article will help to breed duck chicks, understand the incubation mode. The time spent trying to figure it out will pay off in the future.

Incubation rules

Eggs are placed in an already heated appliance. Incubating duck eggs at home will be easier and more convenient for poultry houses if a high-quality incubator is purchased with additional functions such as automatic turning. Many poultry houses still use homemade gadgets, but beginners are better off taking advantage of the alternative. If the duck incubator includes a collar so that nothing happens in the eggs, they need to be secured. Future ducklings are laid vertically, after which the time of incubation of duck eggs is noted and work begins.

The most important parameters of the incubation mode:

1. The temperature in the duck egg incubator drops from 38.0 ° C to 37.5 ° C during the incubation period.
2. In contrast, air humidity rises over time. This difference between air temperature and humidity is due to the fact that the growing embryo emits heat.
3. Cooling. Almost before the bite, the moisture begins to evaporate more strongly. coming out through the pores of the shell. To suspend the process, you need to sprinkle the eggs with clean water. They are also sprayed with a solution of potassium permanganate. In nature, birds do the same after washing in a pond.
4. Turning over is carried out constantly and regularly, at least 4-12 times a day. How many coups to do exactly depends on the stage at which the embryo is.
5. Every 8, 13 and 25 days, the eggs are translucent. If defects or damage are found in eggs, they are immediately removed from the collection.

Maintaining the optimum temperature in the duck egg incubator is a priority.The mode of incubation of duck eggs is important, since without following it, the ducklings will not leave the incubator at all or will hatch an order of magnitude weaker than they should be.

Supporting materials

The Duck Egg Incubation Chart will help you set up your duck egg incubator. How to hatch ducklings in an incubator at home depends on the stage at which the embryos are. The period when ducklings hatch in a home incubator is divided into 4 stages.

A diagram that allows you to outline in general terms how the incubation of ducks occurs at home:

1. First week - the ducks in the incubator form and develop.
2. In the following weeks, day by day, the air temperature should fall, and the humidity should rise. The number of coups per day gradually increases from 4 to 6, but then the need for them disappears.
3. In the third stage of development, the cooling time comes so that the irreparable does not happen in the eggs.

Hatching occurs on days 33-36. Most ducklings hatch together. There are babies who will be born earlier, some later. Babies who are late in the withdrawal will not necessarily be weak. The incubation period of duck eggs after 36 days can be considered complete. Ducklings who have failed to hatch are not destined to do so in the future, there is no point in leaving the incubator to work.

Hatched babies

When hatching ducklings in an incubator at home comes to its last days, the eggs in which the bite has occurred are carefully transferred to a new place - to hatcher trays. When hatching chicks, newborn ducklings should not be helped: try to break through the shell so that they get out. They must perform this action themselves, only after that the babies are transferred to a dry, well-ventilated room. In the first twenty days of life, ducklings are better off living in such warm conditions.

When the ducklings manage to dry out, a selection is carried out. The strong and healthy are left, while the sick are discarded. Raising birds quickly becomes overwhelming if selection is too compassionate. Pay attention that the eyes and beak are clean, the belly is small and not hanging, so that the body is evenly covered with fluff.

Growing can be entrusted to the laying hens, if any, or you can take care of the chicks yourself. Incubating a duck egg is as popular today as raising chicks naturally with a brood hen. Those who have never done this should give it a try.

We told you about the rules of incubation and possible problems of the procedure, so now you can try this method yourself.