A good farmer cares not only about the well-being of his animals, but also about making them profitable through their offspring. It is much more pleasant to raise your own birds than purchased ones. Ducks score high in terms of meat, but breeding these capricious birds is not easy. To get healthy offspring every season, you need to know How many days does it take for ducklings to hatch? different breeds under the duck, and what affects these timing.
When do ducks start and how many eggs do they hatch?
To hatch the first ducklings, the bird must be at least 5-6 months old, but ducks are most productive in their second year of life. Although they live up to 20 years under good conditions, after 6-7 years the quality of the eggs deteriorates.
The period of activity for females occurs in spring and early summer. Although in some individuals the instinct is so developed that they can sit on the nest in the middle of winter. From mid-April, the bird begins to intensively prepare for motherhood.
On average, there are from 8 to 15 eggs in one clutch, but at the peak of activity it reaches 20. It all depends on the age and type of bird. During this period, the expectant mother should be provided with proper nutrition and access to fresh drinking water and an ash bath to cleanse her feathers of parasites.
In a day duck lays one egg at a time. The process takes place at night, from 2 to 4 in the morning. It is important that no one disturbs or frightens the hen at this moment, otherwise she will abandon the clutch. In general, it is better not to disturb the bird during the entire incubation, and carry out any manipulations with the nest only in the absence of the hen.
How many days do ducklings hatch?
In the wild, birds incubate eggs for about a month. Domestic individuals hatch chicks after 26-36 days.
- Indo-duck, musky or musky - from 30 to 35 days.
- Peking duck - from 27 to 29 days.
- Bashkir duck - approximately 26-28 days.
The ducklings are hatched gradually. This process should be closely monitored. When the mother leaves to eat and stretch her legs, the nest needs to be cleared of debris, shells and dead chicks (if any) removed.It is better to take small ducklings indoors for a few days so that the mother does not accidentally crush them.
The ducklings are placed in a warm box where the bottom is lined with soft cloth. The temperature there must be maintained within 26-29 degrees.
If necessary, you can place someone else's eggs under the duck, but carefully. The bird accepts all the ducklings if they come to her gradually. When the entire brood has hatched, then after 2-3 days the mother takes them out for a walk and teaches them to eat, drink and clean their feathers.
What can affect the timing?
Anything can become an obstacle to breeding healthy young animals.
- The duck is still inexperienced, and she was unable to hatch the clutch correctly, as a result, half of the eggs died. Such a bird is not used as a brood hen until next year.
- Egg temperature is the main indicator of healthy offspring. If the clutch spends more than an hour and a half without the mother, then the embryos, at best, will form later, and at worst, they will stop developing altogether. The weather plays an important role here. If the season is hot, then this will benefit the eggs; they will cool down more slowly.
- The duck, for unknown reasons, simply abandoned the clutch. In this case, the eggs are transferred to the incubator; if little time has passed since the hen left, then the chicks should hatch within the same period.
- Unnecessary manipulations with eggs can also lengthen the incubation period. It is advisable not to touch the clutch unless absolutely necessary and not to allow other birds near it.
- The breed of the duck, its age and experience play an indirect role in the timing of the chicks hatching. However, this fact must also be taken into account.
