How to Incubate Duck Eggs

Ducks breed in the spring and typically breed with the same partner year after year. The female duck lays 9-12 eggs per clutch, and only she will incubate those eggs for 28-30 days. The male will help protect the female and chicks once they hatch. If the eggs need to be removed from the nest and placed in an incubator, there are a number of time-sensitive steps to keep in mind in order to keep the egg healthy.

Things You'll Need

• Pencil
• Incubator
• Candling wand or flashlight

Instructions

1. To properly incubate duck eggs, you will need a high-quality incubator with adjustable temperature and humidity levels. The optimal humidity for duck eggs is 65% and temperature is 98.5 degrees Fahrenheit. There should also be some sort of tray for the eggs to sit in the incubator so that they do not roll around.

2. Before you place eggs in an incubator, check for damage. The best way to do this is to "candle" the egg. There are candling wands made for this purpose or you may be able to use a small flashlight. Hold the egg up to the candling wand and examine it for damage and signs of development. If there are signs of minimal damage to the egg, you may try to repair it, but if the egg is infertile, discard it. Remove physical debris from egg surface gently using a dry cloth.

3. If your incubator does not automatically rotate the eggs, you will need to rotate them by hand. Using a pencil, mark hand-turning arrows on the egg. Place the egg in the appropriate size tray with the turning arrow oriented in the same direction as any other eggs in the machine. Three times each day, turn each egg and rotate the egg once a day. Make sure the tray is secure, that all light bulbs and other incubator parts are clear of the turning mechanism.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not turn or rotate the eggs after Day 25 of incubation. Leave the incubator closed during this time unless the temperature needs to be adjusted.

• Once you close the incubator, avoid opening it until the baby chicks hatch. You don't want to release the heat and humidity of the incubator, except during rotating and turning the eggs.

• Additonally, do not place the incubator near a window, heater, or vent since this can cause detrimental fluctuations in the temperature inside the incubator.

References

• Basics of Incubation
• Incubation Q and A
• Hatching photos and videos