Poultry Talk Ontario (pto.ca)

I've hatched lots and lots of birds a lot more chickens then ducks. This springs duck hatch was terrible! All eggs were fertile but none would hatch. I only hatched 20 ducklings out of at least 250. So I'm just seeing if there's anyone who knows some tip and tricks with duck hatching! What should I run humidity at? Etc.... I've done lots of research online but so many different facts that don't match. My runners are laying like crazy and want too do a couple hatches of them. Thanks a lot everyone!

I had very close to 95% this year. I found that dropping the temp at lockdown by 1degree c worked magic. All other settings (temps and humidity) were identical to chicken. I also locked down 1- 2 days earlier than recommended. For 28d incubation i locked down at day 23 or 24 instead of 25.
Worked for me....

I hear a lot of people talking about lock down what does that mean basically don't open the incubator?

In the last few days of incubation you stop turning the eggs up the humidity a touch and dont open the incubator. Thats lock down. For ducks and turkeys this also is when i drop the temp 1c.

Thanks a lot

yep, if you open the bater when it should be locked, the humidity and temp drops instantly and the ducklings get "shrink wrapped" by the skin that is on the inside shell. they struggle and it takes too much energy to fight the skin and break out of the shell.

But how does that work under a broody then for lockdown? She's up and eating, ing, stretching until hatch day. And she doesn't have a thermostat for humidity etc. Mother Nature is awesome!

1. Mother duck talks to her hatching ducklings. The ducklings talk to each other. And they hatch almost simultaneously.
2. And she'll stay on the nest for two days or more if needed.
I've heard of lots of research on this.

Once eggs are pipped under a broody mom then tend to sit and wait before getting up again.....at least my chickens that brood do. then once all the voices are loud and the same they'll get up and check everything. Broodies are amazing, and mother nature definitely knows best! Our artificial humidity etc are just means to an end....those birds have it down to an absolute art.

WLLady wrote:QR_BBPOST Once eggs are pipped under a broody mom then tend to sit and wait before getting up again.....at least my chickens that brood do. then once all the voices are loud and the same they'll get up and check everything. Broodies are amazing, and mother nature definitely knows best! Our artificial humidity etc are just means to an end....those birds have it down to an absolute art.

Yup, no incubator as good as a good broody !
Hope some duck people chime in, there are some tricks specific to hatching ducks, beside the length of incubation for ducks 28 days and Muscovy's 35-37 days.