How to Hatch a Duck Egg

Hatching duck eggs can be an exciting process for both adults and children. It takes close to a month for duck eggs to hatch, so it requires a lot of patience and daily work. The work is not demanding and, when you see the ducks hatch, you will be glad you stuck with it.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Duck egg
• Incubator
• Thermometer
• Hygrometer
• Lamp
• Towel
• Water

1. Place a towel inside the incubator. The incubator just needs to be an enclosed box that will hold heat and humidity. An aquarium would work well for this. Place a thermometer and hygrometer in the incubator. Make sure these devices are in a spot that is easy to read, as you will have to check them often. Place a lamp over the incubator to provide heat

2. Put the fertilized duck egg on the towel inside the incubator. Check the temperature and humidity at least once every hour. It is not necessary to wake up in the middle of the night to check this, but it should be the last thing you do at night and the first thing you do in the morning. For the first 25 days, the temperature should be at a constant 95.5 degrees and the humidity should be at 86 percent. Drop small amounts of water in the incubator to increase the humidity. Simply take the cover off of the incubator for five minutes to decrease the humidity.

3. Turn the egg five times a day for the first 25 days. This will give the baby duck different positions to sleep in, making it a more comfortable process for them.

4. Lower the temperature to 98.5 degrees on the 26th day. The humidity needs to be increased to 94 percent at this time as well. There is no need to turn the egg anymore, as the duck should come out within the next three days.

Tips & Warnings

• You can keep an eye on the duck's process by shining a bright flashlight through the egg. The growing stages should be very noticeable. You should notice an increase of air and a decrease in fluid is time goes on.

References

• Hatching Duck Eggs