The process of incubating duck eggs: how to achieve high hatchability?

Poultry farming » Ducks

2

1945

Article rating

Kira Stoletova

Incubation of duck eggs allows you to almost simultaneously obtain a large brood of healthy chicks without having to endure the vagaries of laying hens, which may refuse to hatch their offspring. However, successful incubation is not easy. First, you will have to carry out a strict selection of eggs, then you will need to store them in a special room with a suitable temperature and humidity. Only after this can you turn on the incubator and start laying.

Incubation of duck eggs

The poultry house's work does not end there. It is necessary to strictly follow the regime, because any violation of it can lead to damage to the eggs and stop the development of the embryos. Only if the incubation is carried out correctly, after 26 days can you expect the ducklings to appear. Supporting materials, such as a table, will help structure the information.

Peculiarities

Incubation at home is not at all easy.
People often need duck egg incubation charts to help them choose the right temperature, humidity, and much more. This is why many people buy small ducklings and then raise them. However, in this way it is impossible to make your farm extremely autonomous, and subsequently scale it up. Chicken eggs are quite different from duck eggs - the latter are both larger in size and stronger in themselves. In addition, they need special storage conditions.

Almost all ducks love to swim throughout the day, and more than once. Therefore, they are almost constantly wet, and as a result, so are the eggs they produce.

Incubation of duck eggs at home: rules and features

What to feed wild ducklings at home

How to choose the right eggs that will be used to hatch ducklings in an incubator? Eggs will differ in:

• volume;
• appearance of the shell.

How to choose the right eggs for an incubator
Duck eggs are large in size, have a porous and thick green shell. Before sending eggs to the incubator, they must be examined and selected according to the following principle:

The weight of the egg should be between 75-96 g. The shape of the egg should not be elongated, round, with a smooth and thick shell. Defects on the shell such as chips, deformations or cracks are unacceptable. Eggs intended for incubation are stored for no more than 7 days. It is unacceptable to place them in refrigeration chambers. The best place for storage would be a plywood tray, the temperature in which should be between 12-13 °C

It is extremely important to maintain good ventilation and humidity within 70%.

It is unacceptable to stack eggs on top of each other, this will reduce the number of ducklings hatched. Before they enter the incubator, the eggs must be systematically turned (4-6 times a day), which will increase the hatchability rate of the chicks.

Egg laying and temperature

Laying eggs in the incubator

Before laying, dirt is removed from the surface of the egg. When laying, experts recommend following special recommendations:

After installing the incubator, you should warm it up to the required temperature. At the bottom of the incubation apparatus there is a tray filled with water.

It is very important to monitor the fullness of this container in the future. It is unacceptable to wash the incubator set! When incubating, large specimens are first placed in a horizontal position

After 3-4 hours, medium and small eggs - in the same way. The humidity level is measured using special thermometers; it is quite possible to make them yourself. Taking a regular thermometer, tie a piece of fabric at its lower tip. The remaining free tip is lowered into a tray filled with water. This will be the indicator of the humidity level.

During incubation, large specimens are first placed in a horizontal position. After 3-4 hours, medium and small eggs - in the same way. The humidity level is measured using special thermometers; it is quite possible to make them yourself. Taking a regular thermometer, tie a piece of fabric at its lower tip. The remaining free tip is lowered into a tray filled with water. This will be the indicator of the humidity level.

To facilitate the process of hatching ducklings, it is best to purchase incubators with automatic egg turning. If the device does not have such a function, you should turn the filling material every day every 4 hours.

Important! High-quality turning ensures that the embryonic discs and subsequently the embryo itself do not dry to the shell. To improve metabolic processes and accelerate the development of chicks, it is necessary to apply cooling

It should be soft and short. You just need to spray the eggs with water (the temperature should be approximately +27°C). The procedure is carried out for about two minutes, then allowed to dry for 8-10 minutes.

To improve metabolic processes and accelerate the development of chicks, it is necessary to apply cooling. It should be soft and short. You just need to spray the eggs with water (the temperature should be approximately +27°C). The procedure is carried out for about two minutes, then 8-10 minutes are allowed to dry.

Spraying eggs in the incubator

The question of whether or not to wash a dirty egg before incubation is quite controversial. Some poultry farmers argue that this is absolutely not worth doing, because the hatchability of chickens decreases; others say that nothing bad is happening. Whether or not to wash eggs before laying is up to each poultry farmer to decide for himself.

Bookmark

Before starting the laying, the incubator is placed in a room with a constant temperature (optimally - +15...+22℃). The device is heated with the humidifier turned off and the dampers closed for 4 hours. The incubation material should have a temperature of about +22℃. You can place the eggs in the tray horizontally or vertically (blunt end up). The horizontal method reduces the number of eggs incubated by approximately 20%, but has been observed to produce stronger chicks and an increased hatch rate. Depending on the placement method, the turning process changes. When positioned in a horizontal plane, the rotation is performed 180 degrees, and in a vertical plane, a tilt of 45 degrees in different directions is sufficient.

To ensure that the chicks emerge evenly, the eggs are sorted before laying. The largest specimens (about 90 g) are placed in the tray first, after 4 hours the medium ones (74-78 g) are placed there, and after another 4 hours the small ones (65-74 g) are placed there. Some farmers prefer to take a break not for 4, but for 8 hours.

In order for the ducklings to hatch in the morning, the material is laid in the afternoon.

Selection and storage of eggs

Recently, many poultry farmers prefer to hatch chickens using an incubator, as this allows them to do without brood hens, producing chicks in any quantity and at any time of the year. In addition, if you hatch future chickens in an incubator, you can significantly save money on purchasing day-old chicks from the factory. The success of hatching chickens at home directly depends on both the experience and efforts of the owner and the quality of the incubation material.

Therefore, before deciding on this process, it is necessary to pay special attention to the selection of eggs

It should be noted that breeding chicks always begins with the control of the mother hen. You should first check her health status - if the laying hen has genetic diseases, then problems with the development of chickens are possible in the future. The eggs themselves are carefully selected according to the following quality criteria.

• No smell. If there is a putrid, acrid, grape and moldy smell, then the material is not suitable for incubation.
• Freshness. The shelf life of eggs that are planned to be placed in the incubator should not exceed 6–7 days.
• Correct storage of samples. Collected eggs must be kept in rooms with a temperature of at least +12 C. Eggs stored in the refrigerator must be disposed of.
• Correct form. Only oval-shaped samples that do not have depressions or growths are suitable for laying. Excessively elongated and spherical eggs are also subject to rejection.

Additionally, you need to check for signs of damage to the incubation material. To do this, the shell is carefully inspected, and if dried spots, dirt, dents and cracks are noticed, such eggs are rejected. Spots usually appear under the shell due to the development of bacteria; they can have different sizes and shades. In addition, for laying, experts recommend choosing samples weighing from 50 to 60 grams, since small ones will hatch into weak chicks, and large ones may contain two yolks.

After the eggs have been selected based on their external characteristics, the second stage of control begins; in this case, the samples must not be wiped or washed under any circumstances. The test is carried out using a special device - an ovoscope, which clearly illuminates the egg. During the candling process, you need to find the air chamber and the yolk - it is usually located near the blunt end of the egg or in the very center.

As for the air chamber, it should be located at the blunt end and have a volume the size of a teaspoon.

Why is ovoscopy needed?

This is the name for checking the contents of hatching eggs using a special device - an ovoscope. This is first done to determine how normal the internal contents are and whether there is a fetus in it. Later, ovoscopy allows you to monitor the stages of embryo development, and promptly reject eggs with a frozen embryo and other signs of process disturbances.

There are clearly established deadlines for ovoscopy, which allow you to obtain comprehensive information without harming the embryo:

• 4-5 days after laying by the hen. At this time, it is already possible to distinguish “idle” eggs from fertilized ones, and also recognize the death of the embryo by the characteristic “blood ring”;
• 7-14 days from the start of incubation. Checking at this stage makes it possible to see healthy embryos and reject eggs with frozen ones;
• before the estimated hatching date of the ducklings. In the last days of incubation, the duckling should occupy the entire internal space of the egg.

If the ovoscope shows that this is not so, perhaps under the shell there is a “suffocated” duckling that developed normally, but then died.

Selection and storage

Proper selection is a guarantee of successful breeding of ducklings. Duck eggs intended for incubation must have the following characteristics:

1. All incubation material has almost the same weight and correct shape.
2. The shell is smooth, clean, without cracks, chips or deformations.
3. Acceptable storage is a week from the moment of laying, in a room with a temperature of 10 - 12 degrees.
4. The eggs must be fertilized (unfertilized eggs are rejected, checking each one with an ovoscope). When transilluminated, the blood network will be visible.

Store duck eggs in boxes with sawdust, slightly tilted to the side or with the sharp end down. It is not recommended to stack eggs on top of each other to avoid cracks. During storage, eggs are turned several times a day.

Watch a video about collecting and storing duck eggs for incubation:

Preparatory work

First of all, experts advise paying attention to the litter in the duck nest. It changes daily - this allows you to avoid the appearance of parasites, mold and other infectious lesions. After all, pathogenic microflora will remain on the shell; under favorable incubation conditions, it will penetrate inside and affect the embryo.

Layed duck eggs

Before placing raw materials into the incubator, it is necessary to carefully sort the eggs. Experts advise storing them in well-ventilated areas with a temperature of 8-130C; it is advisable that the humidity in them be kept at about 75%. You should not collect them in the refrigerator; special plywood trays are ideal for collecting. Place the testicles in one layer, with the blunt end pointing down.

Selection procedure

Duck eggs are covered with a porous, thick shell with a faint greenish tint. Those with:

• non-standard shape: overly elongated, round;
• there are cracks, chips, shell deformation or other defects;
• limescale deposits are present;
• When diagnosed with light (ovoscopy), 2 yolks are detected.

Selected eggs

It is advisable to take eggs with the parameters indicated in the table for bookmarking.

Candling eggs

It is advisable to store raw materials for bookmarking for no more than 7 days.

Having chosen the most suitable specimens, many farmers think about the permissibility of cleaning them from droppings.

Should you wash your eggs?

Poultry farmers know that duck eggs are among the most contaminated eggs. Therefore, the question of the need to clean them worries many. Some argue that they cannot be washed. But experienced poultry farmers say that if the shell is more than 50% contaminated, cleaning is required. Moreover, in the wild, ducks themselves involuntarily clean the shells of droppings by moving over them after bathing: wet paws and feathers perform a cleaning function.

Spray bottle for washing eggs

But when washing, extreme caution should be taken: any careless movement can cause damage. Cracked or chipped specimens are not suitable for bookmarking.

Washing eggs by hand

In addition to washing, disinfection in a weak solution of potassium permanganate is required. After all, duck eggs are most often infected with pathogenic fungi, mold, and salmonella. Some experts advise removing visible dirt with a soft sponge when disinfecting.

Common Incubation Mistakes

Breeding mulards using an incubator is not difficult, but beginners often make mistakes that affect the formation of embryos and the survival of the chicks.

Most often you can observe:

1. violation of hygiene standards when laying eggs in the incubator;
2. gross violation of the temperature regime: if overheated, the ducklings will weigh less than normal; at low temperatures, the hatching process will be delayed for a day;
3. if the air is too dry, the risk of premature pipping increases, and excessive humidity, on the contrary, slows down the process;
4. inexperienced poultry farmers often forget to turn eggs during the incubation period;
5. with poor ventilation, the chicks will hatch, but will be deformed.

It is necessary to create the correct microclimate and strictly observe it in accordance with the stages of development of the chicks, then everything will definitely work out.

Preparing Muscovy duck eggs for incubation.

First of all, duck eggs for incubation must be stored correctly; when ducks begin laying eggs, the eggs must be regularly taken from the nest so that the ducks do not sit on them, because several ducks can lay in turn in one nest; a couple of marked eggs or decoys must be left in the nest.

Muscovy duck eggs should be stored in a cool room at a temperature of about 12 degrees; the optimal shelf life for eggs is no more than two weeks.

Before laying, it is advisable to do an ovoscopy of the eggs, which will allow you to immediately identify defective eggs; unfertilized eggs can be identified only after the first week of incubation.

Eggs of indo-ducks, mulards and wild ducks: comparison

Duck eggs

Turkey eggs have a smooth surface and are white. The weight of eggs reaches 75-80 grams. The shell is dense, so the eggs are difficult to break. Indian ducks are quite neat, so the eggs in the nest are usually kept clean.

As a result, it is not necessary to collect them on the first day. On the contrary, if the duck needs to hatch the eggs, they are left in the nest until she becomes a hen. Moreover, she chooses the place for oviposition herself, and it is not recommended to change it.

Mulards are a hybrid of ducks, bred by crossing an Indian duck and a domestic duck. Unlike musk birds, they are not brown, but black or white. Mulard duck eggs weigh several grams less. Their weight is 50-60 grams. They have the same oblong shape as other birds.

However, they have a yellowish tint and dark speckles on the shell, reminiscent of turkey. Although it happens that representatives of the Favorite duck breed lay eggs of the same color. Incubation of ducks in agriculture gives positive results, despite the fact that mulards are hybrids.

Wild duck eggs can have different colors: from white to brown-green with dark spots. The peculiarity of such eggs is that after hatching the shade disappears and they become white. In the very first days of warming, females begin to build nests for themselves.

When they are ready, the ducks begin laying eggs. They fly regularly, every day, mainly in the evening. The weight of the egg is about 45 grams. Dimensions – 34X46 mm. Externally, wild birds resemble Bashkir ducks, although they are slightly smaller in size.

Stages and timing of incubation of duck eggs

Successful hatching of ducks during incubation at home directly depends on:

• the quality of the incubator itself;
• strict adherence to temperature conditions;
• egg quality.

Ducklings are hatched from the incubator on time if:

• the eggs are heated evenly;
• the correct temperature and humidity conditions are observed, which are included in the duck egg incubation table;
• the incubator has good ventilation.

The first stage of incubation lasts one week from the moment the eggs are laid. During this period, organs begin to emerge in the embryo and the heart begins to beat.

This is why it is very important to ensure that the eggs are well warmed up. To do this, the temperature in the incubator is set to about 38-38.2 degrees with a humidity of 70%

At the second stage

, which begins from day 8 to day 14, the skeleton is already formed in the embryo. Don't forget to lower the temperature in the incubator to 37.8 degrees!

Keep in mind that a duck egg contains a lot of fat and little water. Of course, in natural conditions, this feature allows it not to freeze if it gets into cold water. But for incubating eggs at home, this fact, on the contrary, creates certain troubles - so that the embryos do not overheat, the eggs must be cooled from time to time. To do this, carry out air cooling 2 times a day - open the incubator for 15-20 minutes, and then spray the eggs with a weak solution prepared from water and potassium permanganate.

During the third stage of incubation

(15-25 days from the moment of laying) - heat exchange in the egg increases. As a rule, its temperature can be 40-42 degrees. To avoid overheating of the embryos, set the incubator temperature to 37.8 °C and 60% humidity. And also cool the eggs throughout the entire stage.

At the fourth stage

(26-28 days) of incubation, the chicks are directly hatched. Since the shell is very dense, when the hatching begins, try to provide high humidity in the incubator along with ventilation. This will soften the shell a little and also help the ducklings to be born.

Duck Egg Incubation Chart

*This incubation mode from the table allows you to get the maximum result of hatching ducklings.

To avoid turning the duck eggs yourself throughout the incubation period, you can purchase an incubator that has an automatic turning function.

What to do with hatched ducklings?

To properly hatch ducks in an incubator, they also require care after hatching. First, they need to be given water. To do this, the beaks of each duckling are lowered into a shallow bowl with water at a temperature of 20-22°C. You can also use water with sugar. To do this, take about 20 ml of sugar per 1 liter of water. Water is very necessary for ducks, so it should always be in sufficient quantity. It helps them clean their noses and also makes it easier for them to eat. It is worth noting that a 7-day-old duckling usually drinks about 2 liters of water per week, and a 7-week-old duck already drinks 2 liters of water per day.

Often, in the place where ducklings live, they place not only small vessels for drinking, but also containers with water, where they like to swim. The water in the bathing basin and in the drinking bowl should be poured to a height of no more than 6 millimeters, which will prevent small ducklings from drowning. In order for the breeding of ducks to be successful until they are one month old, they need constant supervision. It is either not recommended for them to bathe at all or only for up to 5 minutes a day. This is due to the fact that ducklings do not yet produce water-repellent fat.

Meals by day

How does the preparation take place?

Eggs should be placed on the tray with the blunt end down. One egg cannot be placed on top of another - this will affect the viability of the chicks. Until eggs are laid, they need to be turned 3-5 times a day.

Is disinfection necessary?

To clean the shell from dangerous microorganisms, a disinfection procedure is carried out.
On a domestic and industrial scale, you can use a formaldehyde solution. Fill the container with formaldehyde and water and place it in the chamber with the eggs. The result of the chemical reaction is steam, which kills harmful bacteria. The duration of the procedure is 30 minutes. Steam is removed from the chamber using an exhaust ventilation system. An alternative is a mercury-quartz lamp. It should be placed at a distance of 70 cm from the eggs. Warm up to 10 minutes.

Does it need to be washed?

Eggs should be washed only in extreme cases, when there is a large area of ​​contamination. The procedure should be carried out carefully. The eggs must be placed in a mesh container, immersed in the solution, and rotated until the contaminants are washed away. It is strictly not recommended to wipe with a rag - this will damage the protective shell.

IPH-5

This incubator is designed for 35-40 duck eggs. He:

• easy to operate;
• designed for owners of small household plots;
• It is a convenient chamber with a door on the front.

The air in the chamber is heated by ceramic resistors, and a fan is responsible for air exchange. The incubator is also equipped with:

• rotating device;
• water container;
• temperature sensor.

Despite the weight of 40 kg, the model is classified as a desktop one. There are also IPH-10 and IPH-15 - more capacious and modern incubators of this type.

Incubation of duck eggs at home: rules and features

The simplest devices in which young ducks can be raised include the Nasedka and IPH-5 models. These devices have some special features.

Model "Nestka"

This is the simplest model that allows you to hatch 32-36 ducklings at the same time. The incubator is a foam body with a removable tray inside. At the bottom there are lamps for heating. A stable level of humidity is ensured by special water baths. Air flow is provided naturally through openings at the top and bottom of the housing. The photo and structure of the “Nasedka” incubator are shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Photo and diagram of the “Nestka” incubator: 1 - ventilation holes, 2 - removable heater casing, 3 - ventilation flaps, 4 - quick-release leash for connecting the rotation mechanism, 5 - control unit, 6 - plug, 7 - removable cover, 8 - parallel rods for the separator, 9 - transverse rods for the separator, 10 - water bath, 11 - tray, 12 - heater (light bulbs), 13 - hatching eggs

It is important to maintain the correct temperature inside the chamber, since elevated temperatures cause deformities in the embryos. In addition, the incubation of duck eggs has its own characteristics in comparison with chicken eggs.

Because they are fattier, they require four times more oxygen at the end of hatching. Therefore, after the 15th day of being in the chamber, they must be sprayed with water once a day.

A modernized model is the “Nasedka-1” incubator, which allows you to simultaneously place up to 50 duck eggs. Heating is carried out using a special spiral, air flow is provided by a fan, and rotation is carried out automatically. In addition, there is a more capacious incubator “Nasedka-2”.

IPH-5

This is a simple device for homestead farms, which is very easy to operate and allows you to independently replenish the duck population. It is a chamber with a door in the front for ease of maintenance (Figure 2).

Figure 2. External view and internal structure of the incubator IPH-5 (Figure 1-3) and model IPH-10 (Figure 4)

Inside the chamber there is a tray, a rotating device, heaters, a fan, water baths to maintain humidity and a temperature sensor.

Modifications of this model are IPH-10 (twice the capacity) and IPH-15 (allows you to simultaneously place up to 120 duck eggs). Practical recommendations for incubating duck eggs are given in the video.

Incubation rules

Incubation of duck eggs at home is carried out according to certain rules that guarantee the successful hatching of the young. In addition to the correct selection of the device and strict adherence to the extraction regime, it is necessary to follow some other rules (Figure 3):

• The revolution is carried out at least 6 times a day. During natural hatching, the duck independently turns the eggs several times a day to ensure uniform heating of the embryos. When using an incubator to hatch young animals, this must be done manually or using automation systems.
• Before laying, the eggs must be moved indoors and kept for a day at a temperature of +25 degrees. After this, they are laid out, laying them out sideways. If necessary, they can be temporarily fixed with a metal mesh.
• Strict adherence to temperature and humidity conditions will ensure successful and timely hatching of ducklings. In addition, it is necessary to ensure high-quality ventilation of the inside of the incubator.

Figure 3. Rules for artificial breeding of ducklings

To successfully hatch young animals, it is better to buy modern incubator models equipped with automatic systems for maintaining temperature and humidity.

Peculiarities

Successful hatching of young animals depends on certain features of artificial incubation. Firstly, the duration of the process is 28 days, but if the regime has been violated, this period may be delayed, and the young animals will be weak and prone to disease.

Secondly, duck eggs must be cooled by regularly ventilating the chamber and sprinkling them with water. This will help prevent the embryos from overheating. During the second half of elimination, the flow of fresh air should be constant to improve gas exchange.

In addition, it is important to collect and store eggs correctly. Their age should not exceed 7 days, and for storage they should only be used in a clean and cool room with a humidity no higher than 75%

Before laying, be sure to check with an ovoscope to detect all small cracks.

How to choose an incubator

When purchasing an incubator, you should focus on:

• estimated number of eggs;
• regularity of receiving broods;
• your financial capabilities.

It is better to choose a device with an automatic turning option and other useful functions. The simplest devices that allow you to hatch duck chicks are the Hen and IPH-5.

Breeding ducklings in an incubator

The last X-ray study is carried out on the 26th day. Eggs with healthy embryos should not be translucent, the air chamber should have uneven boundaries, movement should be felt, a squeak should be heard. After checking on the same day, the future ducklings should be moved to the hatcher tray in the incubator, lying on their side. After pecks appear, turning and cooling by spraying must be stopped, but the incubator does not open. Air humidity needs to be increased to 80%. And the temperature in the incubator should become 36.5 °C

The first chicks appear at the beginning of the 27th day. The mass hatching of ducklings occurs at the end of the 27th and beginning of the 28th day. A newly hatched duckling should weigh 50–60 g, and the weight of turkey chicks can reach 70 g. As the hatched ducklings dry out, they are placed in a brooder at a temperature of 25 °C.

The appearance of chicks

The hatching process of ducklings lasts about a day. The weight of a full-fledged chick on the first day of life is from 50 to 70 g. Knowing how long a duck egg lies in the incubator, the breeder must:

• be especially attentive to the masonry when biting begins;
• Place the young ducklings in a warm box immediately after they have dried.

For the first 10 days, the air temperature in the duck “nurseries” should be at least 28°C, then it is reduced, and by the 21st day it is brought to 22-24°C.

If the hatching is very late, it is possible that the chicks died.

Storage conditions for raw materials

Eggs must be properly preserved before being placed in the incubator. The basic rule is no refrigerator. It is better to build pallets from sheets of plywood and place them in a cool room. It should have good ventilation, the temperature should be kept at + 12 degrees, and the humidity should be kept within 70%. The tray is kept perfectly clean. Any fungi and bacteria easily pass through the porous shell.

The eggs are laid out on a tray with the blunt end down. Definitely in one row. Eggs should be turned over from time to time. It is best to do this 4 to 6 times a day. This simple procedure greatly increases the chances of a large brood.

It is important how many days you store the selected material - no more than seven is acceptable

Incubation and its main features

In order for the hatching of ducklings in incubators to go like clockwork at home, you need to learn as much as possible about this process.

In poultry farming, incubation refers to the natural process of development from the laying of eggs to the appearance of chicks. In practice, not all ducks become brood hens. And the brood size is not as large as we would like. Private farms solve these problems with the help of incubators.

The whole process goes through three stages:

• selection of eggs and their disinfection;
• actual incubation;
• hatching of chicks.

The success of breeding mulards at home, if an incubator is used, is determined by many factors: temperature, ventilation, humidity.

The only similarity between incubation and brooding is the result. That is, the birth of chicks. But these two processes have differences that significantly affect the number and survival of duck offspring.

Natural hatching is the best option. The duck instinctively hydrates the eggs better. Hatchability reaches 100%, but chicks do not begin to hatch at the same time.

An incubator is an artificial replacement for a hen. It will be an excellent solution if the duck refuses to hatch her ducklings. An additional plus is the large capacity (up to hundreds of eggs). The female hatches on average about fifteen.

First actions after birth

After the birth of ducklings, a thorough inspection of the livestock is carried out to determine their viability: ducklings are selected that are well on their feet, with uniform, good plumage and without traces of an unovergrown umbilical cord. The eyes are mobile, the wings fit tightly to the body. Sluggish individuals are discarded.

We have prepared useful articles about incubation especially for you:

• turkey eggs;
• turkey eggs;
• peacock eggs;
• guinea fowl eggs;
• pheasant eggs;
• goose eggs;
• ostrich eggs;
• quail eggs;
• Muscovy duck eggs.

What mistakes can newbies make?

The most common problems and omissions when breeding ducklings:

• Eggs are not heated evenly. Before turning on/doing ventilation or cooling, the eggs should be mixed - those that are in the center should be moved to the edges, and vice versa. Insufficient heat production leads to high mortality.
• Heat. Due to overheating, all offspring may die. Heat stroke leads to the cessation of chick development - this can happen at any stage of hatching.
• Low humidity. The weight of the eggs decreases, and enlarged air chambers are visible when scanned. The chicks begin to hatch earlier than expected. The ducklings turn out small.
• High humidity. Removal is delayed. Many chicks die when they peck, choking in the amniotic fluid.
• No ventilation. Chicks are born with defects. Embryos lie with their heads towards the sharp edge - this is a pathology.

By comparing the incubation mode with the hatching results, it is possible to determine the cause of the problem:

• If there is a delay in hatching, it is likely that the eggs were not warmed up enough before being placed in the incubator.
• If the chicks are weakened and die within the first day, it is likely that defective eggs were laid for incubation.
• If early hatching is observed, it is likely that elevated temperatures were maintained during the second half of the incubation.
• If pipping was difficult, it is possible that defective eggs were incubated or the humidity conditions were disturbed.

If many unfertilized eggs are discarded, you should take a closer look at the parent couple; perhaps they need enhanced vitamin nutrition.

Having an incubator and high-quality duck eggs, you can breed ducks yourself. If you have no experience in breeding ducklings, arm yourself with detailed instructions. By strictly following all the instructions, you can achieve a high percentage of hatchability the first time.

Development of the embryo

One of the most important is 1 week. At this time, the internal organs of the future bird are formed. During this period, a heartbeat appears, and the embryo itself reaches 2 cm in length.

Duck embryo

The breathing rate of the embryo gradually increases. At first, oxygen from the yolk is consumed, but over time it is replaced by oxygen that passes through the pores of the shell from the air. It is possible to ensure the full development of the embryo only if the temperature regime is observed: overheating or hypothermia leads to the cessation of development.

1. At the first candling, experienced poultry farmers using an ovoscope (an apparatus for candling eggs) can distinguish between fertilized and unfertilized specimens; in the first of them, embryos are visualized. In the second week, the skeleton of the future bird is formed.

   
   Candling eggs to assess quality

2. On the second viewing, it can be seen that the entire shell is lined from the inside with allantois (embryonic membrane). It is involved in the process of gas exchange and is the embryonic respiratory organ of animals belonging to higher vertebrates. The embryo should be large and dark.
3. The third scan allows you to see dead embryos and assess the progress of development of living ones. The embryo should occupy all the space inside, you can see its outlines and even movements. Chicks that are lagging behind in development are identified by the presence of a light transparent spot at the sharp end of the testicle; there are no blood vessels there. Dead ducklings are motionless and shapeless.

Stages of duckling development

The stages of development of ducklings are shown in the table.

Chronology of embryo development

Rejection process

Transillumination allows you to remove some specimens in a timely manner.

1. When the embryo dies on days 1-6, a blood ring is visualized that encircles the yolk.
2. Embryos that die at week 2 are called frozen. Blood vessels are not visualized, the fetus is visible as a dark, shapeless inclusion.
3. Experts call those who died in the last stages of development “suffocated.” These are fully formed chicks that have not hatched. The ovoscope shows that in some of them the body of the embryo occupies almost the entire volume. But often there is no allantois in the acute part.

A full-fledged egg when candled

If there are a large number of dead babies, it is advisable for the poultry farmer to become familiar with the main reasons for the arrest of development. These include:

• hereditary pathologies;
• infectious lesions;
• embryonic dystrophy;
• excessively low/high humidity;
• insufficient heating/overheating;
• disruption of the gas exchange process.

When using high-quality raw materials and the absence of unfavorable conditions, good hatch rates can be achieved.

What does a good hatchling depend on?

It is not always possible to get a good hatch in the incubator the first time. This depends not only on the quality of the hatching eggs, but also on proper feeding and maintenance of the parent flock of birds.

The livestock of producers must be maintained and selected in accordance with all the rules.

Avoid close relationships

It is important to change the breeding drake as often as possible, which has a good effect on the health of the future generation. If this rule is neglected, ducks suffer from congenital defects, which often lead to a sudden death of the bird. Observe age and weight category

The drake should be 1.5 months older than the female. Some breeds maintain weight proportions for ease of mating. Proper nutritious feeding. This is an important factor that greatly affects incubation qualities. Parents' diets should contain the necessary vitamins and minerals. It is worth remembering that duck eggs are fattier than chicken eggs. In order to increase fertility, corn is removed from the ducks' diet. Feeding should be carried out strictly according to the schedule. Maintaining order in the nests and in the poultry house. The eggs must be collected on time, avoiding hypothermia in winter, as well as contamination during bad weather. The nests are often replaced with hay and straw.

By observing all the above rules, you can be confident in the quality of the incubation product and the health of the future young.

Incubation of duck eggs (nuances)