I've been incubating some duck eggs now for about three weeks. According to my sources, I should have another week until they hatch. However, when I candle them, while I seem to see veins and dark spots and even some movement now and then, It just doesn't seem like they are developed enough to be ready to hatch in seven days. Am I doing something wrong?

I've never incubated eggs before, and don't seem to have very good luck my first time at anything like this...more life's tuition, I guess.

Also, the incubator that I'm using is one of those styrofoam jobbies...I splurged and got the automatic turner to go with it, and a digital thermometer. What range should the thermometer stay at? I was told 99 degrees was optimal, but the incubator seems to fluctuate between about 97 and 103. Is that ok?

Sheesh, it's amazing these things ever hatch in the wild.

-- Chuck (woah@mission4me.com), February 28, 2002

Answers

Chuck, zip over to www.poultryconnection.com, click on "Quackers Home Page" in the LINKS. You will get to Iridesa's page and find many illustrations on candling, and what the egg should look like at what stage. You are gonna have fun! LOL LQ PS turn on your speakers when you get there, it comes with music, "RUBBER DUCKY" of course! LOL

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), February 28, 2002.

Chuck, Some things to remember.Duck eggs need high humidity,keep the water well full and even spritz the eggs with very warm water every other day or so.Optimum temp is 100*,but make sure it doesn't go over 102*. Duck eggs are the hardest to get a good hatch on. The incubation period is 28 days.Take the egg turner out at 25 days,and don't turn them for the last three days. They may be a little behind on their hatching schedule...and this can be caused by the temp being too low.Temp being too high will cause an early hatch...both to low and too high temp will lower your rate of an effective hatch. Since you are candling and seeing veins and movement,they are definately still viable,but may hatch late.Hang in there. Good luck and let us know how it works out, Johna

-- Johna (marcnjohna@aol.com), February 28, 2002.

Duck eggs take 28 days to hatch. Muscovys take 35-37 days.

Incubator Temperature:
101.5 degrees F. in a still-air incubator 99.5 degrees F. in a forced air incubator

Humidity:
Relative humidity for goose and duck eggs is 63%; raise the humidity the last three days to 70%.

Candling eggs. A mag flashlight in a dark room works well. Here's More Info

=== it's amazing these things ever hatch in the wild. ===

Not really. Mama nature has the recipe down pat! -LOL-

-- ~Rogo (rogo2222@hotmail.com), March 01, 2002.