If eggs are stored for a while before they are set, they should be stored at a temperature and humidity level that will minimize deterioration of the egg. The image to the right shows you the ideal air sac size at different stages of incubation in days, if you follow this, you shouldn’t go too far wrong. I found that the humidity had to be different for different batches and breeds of eggs. At the time of transfer, the temperature of the hatcher should be set at 37.2°C (99°F) and the humidity set at 65% (88°F wet bulb). Eastport, NY 11941, Phone: (631) 325-0600 But, the longer they are stored, the lower the hatch rate. Northampton & District Poultry Club Spring Show 2016. It’s fairly simple to rotate eggs with success and to keep the temperature at relatively the same level, but humidity is more complicated. Final Duck Egg Hatching Tips. Humidity is controlled in order to prevent unnecessary loss of egg moisture. This is my very first hatch, and I had 8 out of 9. Since duck eggs are larger than chicken eggs, setting trays must be designed to accommodate their larger size. Weight loss can also be used as a guide. Learn how your comment data is processed. Chicks have different humidity needs throughout different parts of the hatch. If eggs have been stored in a cooler, take them out of the cooler the night before setting and allow them to warm to room temperature. Email: ducklab@cornell.edu, COVID-19: The AHDC is open. For best results, set eggs within 1-3 days from the time they were laid. The ideal temperature for incubating duck eggs is 37.5 °C with a humidity of 55% (you can measure the humidity with the help of a wet bulb thermometer). He keeps Cream Legbar chickens, Silver Sebright bantams and hybrid layers for eggs, Abacot Ranger ducks, Brecon Buff geese and some quail. Required fields are marked *. The one that died even pipped, but then died after. During the last three days (the "lock-down" period), the humidity level should be increased to between 70-80%. Common duck eggs should lose about 14% of their weight at time of setting by 25 days. So what is the answer? there is another way to estimate the correct weight loss and that’s by the age-old method of candling and observing the size of the air sac. Dutch Vet Tour Helps British Farmers Cut Antibiotic Use. After spending the last 4 years hatching ducklings, I have kept accurate records of humidity (more recently using the recording software of the RCOM 20 Pro USB) and I have kept records of the weight of each egg at different times during the incubation period, in a search to find the ‘right’ humidity for duck eggs. The conclusion of what humidity to use to hatch duck eggs was that it varies although, the humidity requirement for most of the duck eggs I hatched during my tests was at the lower end, closer to 40% – most of my failures were because the humidity was too high. Have you ever tried drying washing on a damp day? The air sac changes slowly at first. If the air sack in your duck eggs is too small, your incubator humidity is too high. Place the big ends towards the window. Eggs are automatically turned while in the setter (usually hourly). Duck eggs will hatch under a broody hen so surely 50% RH is the right sort of humidity to maintain? The following two tabs change content below. Announcements on service adjustments are posted on our, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell Ruffian Equine Specialists, on Long Island, Submission Guidelines for SARS-CoV-2 Testing. Set the temperature at 37.5°C (99.5°F) and relative humidity at 55% (84.5°F on wet bulb thermometer). So what did this tell me? Much of the information available on incubating and hatching chicken eggs can be applied to ducks, as long as the important differences between these two species are taken into account. At 25 days after setting (Pekin eggs), the eggs are transferred to hatching trays, and if eggs are hatched in a separate machine, moved to the hatcher. Make sure that you purchase fertile eggs and the right incubator that is fit for hatching duck eggs. When larger numbers of duck eggs are to be hatched, large commercial incubators (setters) and hatchers are normally used. If the duckling is developing normally, the air cell should occupy about one-third of the space inside the egg at 25 days of incubation (common ducks). Select eggs to be set by carefully inspecting and candling them at the time they are put in setting trays. Do not set eggs that are cracked, double yolked, misshapen, oversized, undersized or dirty. Your email address will not be published. Duck eggs also need slightly more humidity than chicken eggs, so hatching both at the same time is generally not advised. At 25 days after setting (Pekin eggs), the eggs are transferred to hatching trays, and if eggs are hatched in a separate machine, moved to the hatcher. The nest box should be located in a clean dry shelter, bedded with suitable litter. The moisture won’t evaporate as quickly into the air as on a dry day and this is the same idea with eggs. What Humidity Should I Use To Hatch Duck Eggs? Eggs that needed a lower humidity were placed into the 35%RH incubator for a few days to bring them back to the ‘ideal’ loss. To overcome this, whilst incubating mixed batches of duck eggs, I tried running 3 incubators, one at 65%RH, one at 45%RH and one at 35% or as low as I could get it (it was difficult to maintain due to the humidity of the outside air). As time passes over the 4 weeks or so of incubation, the moisture loss is making the egg lighter so we have a weight loss over the incubation period. This air sack provides the first few breaths the duckling takes before it pips through the shell, starting to breathe air through the hole it has created. Reading relative humidity is one of the more difficult things to do in a small incubator. If you’re new to hatching duck eggs, here’s a few tips that helped me get through our hatch. The problem sounds like you have very low humidity for ducks. Eggs must be turned, either automatically or by hand, a minimum of 4 times a day. Each time I could get the weight loss of an egg to 14%, most of the time, they would hatch successfully. 192 Old Country Road You also know about differences between chicken and duck eggs and hatchlings. Always set eggs with the small end down, except in the case of small incubators that have no trays. After a little head scratching, I realised that the porosity of the shell was coming into play. Basic procedures and conditions for hatching duck eggs are as follows. Most automatic turning devices are set to change the position of the eggs hourly. Candle and remove eggs with dead embryos. Reply. Some even recommend spraying eggs regularly, others do not. The recommended humidity for ducks is 70-80% during incubation, then in the 90% range for hatching. As moisture is lost from the egg, the air sack at the rounded end increases in size, causing air to be drawn into the sack. Use a soft (e.g. I kept my humidity 65-80% the entire incubation time, and 90-95% during hatching. Fax: (631) 325-1843 Duck eggs may be hatched naturally by placing them under a broody duck or even a broody chicken hen. Laura says: April 30, 2018 at 3:41 pm. Your email address will not be published. Egg shells are porous and moisture loss through the shell causes the egg to lose weight. The Incubator should only be opened up to spray the eggs or add water to the pans and towel to keep the humidity up. For a small number of eggs, storage in a cellar may suffice. Start this about 10-14 days into incubation and stop when you raise the humidity to prepare for hatching. Pekin duck eggs are kept in a setter for 25 days and then transferred on the 25th day to a hatcher where they remain until they hatch on the 28th day. Companion Animal Hospital in Ithaca, NY for cats, dogs, exotics, and wildlife, Equine and Nemo Farm Animal Hospitals in Ithaca, NY for horses and farm animals, Cornell Ruffian Equine Specialists, on Long Island for every horse, Ambulatory and Production Medicine for service on farms within 30 miles of Ithaca, NY, Animal Health Diagnostic Center New York State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine Ithaca, New York 14853-6401. Spray the eggs and close the incubator for the remaining days. There is another image of a chicken and duck egg at the bottom of our page on candling eggs that might also be useful to you too. Some eggs were more porous than others and were losing weight faster. Collect and store eggs at room temperature for up to 10 days. At the time of transfer, the temperature of the hatcher should be set at 37.2°C (99°F) and the humidity … Most of the change occurs from 18 days onwards. As the duckling develops inside the egg there is a loss of water from the egg and an increase in the size of the air cell. You must have enough patience, as it may take up to 35 days for duck eggs to hatch. The humidity should be around 80% at the time of hatching. Feed and water should be available for the broody duck and for the ducklings when they hatch. Most small egg incubators (those that hold less than 40 eggs) have a well or two that holds water and generally don t have an easy way to measure humidity. You also need to make sure that you provide enough ventilation so that the air keeps circulating. As the hatch progresses, and eggs begin to pip, increase the humidity to 80% (93°F wet bulb), and increase ventilation openings by about 50%. When we first got our Welsh Harlequin ducks, I was just looking for a nice little backyard flock. Remove ducklings from the hatcher when 90-95% of them are dry. As the humidity of the air decreases, the rate at which the egg loses moisture increases and vice-versa. Eggs that needed a higher humidity were placed into the 65%RH incubator for a few days, then re-weighed, they were brought back, closer to the ideal weight loss line on my graph. Vents should be opened to their maximum setting by the end of the hatch. The ideal humidity level for hatching eggs is still being debated among experts, but many agree that it should not fall below 25% or above 60% between setting and three days prior to hatching. At about seven days after setting, candle the eggs and remove any eggs that are infertile (clear) or have dead germ (cloudy). The trickiest part of incubating is finding the right humidity levels. Eggs from common ducks like Pekins require 28 days to hatch. 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