Duck egg incubation table and development schedule by time frame at home

When breeding ducks at home, the question arises about additional incubation of duck eggs. This helps increase the number of ducklings without involving hens in the rearing. An adult incubates 15 to 20 eggs at a time. To get more offspring, they use special devices and adhere to established rules. Rejection of material is important, as well as installation and control of temperature conditions.

Egg selection rules

Material that is suitable for incubation is selected according to established rules:

• by weight: from 75 to 90 grams;
• the location of the yolk in the center, the transparency of the white;
• uniformity of the shell and traditional shape, color – even, rich.

Information! To select eggs, a candling technique is used.

Eggs with the following characteristics are not suitable for further work:

• non-standard, elongated or flattened shape;
• if microfractures are visible on the shell, the shell is deformed, unevenly colored, or has growths;
• if, when transilluminated, 2 formations are visible, suggesting the presence of yolks.

Transillumination is a procedure that is carried out using a special apparatus, an ovescope.

Do you need to wash eggs?

Duck eggs smeared with bird droppings. Before placing the material on the incubation tray, it is thoroughly cleaned of adhering debris. Typically, eggs are not washed unless they are more than 50 percent dirty.

Reference! If the shell cracks during washing, the specimen is removed.

Equipment selection

Incubators are used to artificially hatch ducklings. The task of incubators is to imitate the processes that occur with eggs if they are hatched by a duck. Incubators are devices that maintain the temperature level necessary for the hatching of chicks.

There are 2 main types of incubators:

1. Manual. Incubators intended for private farms where the number of eggs does not exceed 100 pieces. They are equipped with gutters for filling with water, but turning the material is done manually.
2. Automatic.Various types of devices with an automatic system for moving trays in which the material is located. Movement is carried out due to the movement of rollers or changing the angle of inclination of the tray.

Reference! When incubating, the hen moves the egg independently. This mechanism is inherent in the nature of laying ducks.

Establishment and incubation

Laying begins after rejecting the eggs and setting the mode on the incubator. It is recommended to bookmark in the morning.

Bookmark rules

How to lay duck eggs correctly at home:

• eggs are marked on both sides so as not to get confused when turning from one side to the other;
• the incubator is heated to + 38 degrees, the gutters are filled with water;
• Before laying, the eggs are kept at room temperature for 30 minutes;
• Large material is laid first, after 4 hours smaller eggs are laid.

Incubation modes

Incubation regimes change as time passes.

Summary table.

When breeding ducklings, temperature and humidity indicators are of great importance. If the conditions are not controlled, ducklings can die at any stage of development.

A special role is given to the cooling process. You can independently reduce the temperature inside the incubator using a spray bottle.This helps to cool and moisturize the material at the same time.

Warm water is poured into the container and sprayed evenly throughout the period during which the inversion is carried out.

Ventilation requires the presence of a ventilation system inside the incubator. Some models have constant air circulation, others require manual activation of the fan at strictly defined hours. Future chicks absorb oxygen at a certain rate:

• from 1 to 2 weeks – 3 liters of air daily;
• the day before pipping - from 8 to 10 liters of air.

Information! Insufficient air supply leads to the death of embryos.

Development of the embryo

Ducklings hatch in 27-28 days. Each stage of development is characterized by certain features.

Chick development schedule:

It will take up to 35 days to hatch indo-duck chicks. Mulard chicks hatch on the 30th day. In these cases, the processing time is shifted forward by several days.

Rejection

Rejection helps to remove unsuitable specimens in a timely manner. Rejection is carried out according to the main characteristics:

1. If on days 1-6 a blood ring appears surrounding the egg, this indicates the death of the embryo.
2. In the second week, the appearance of frozen chicks is diagnosed. They are identified by a darkening spot located in the center of the egg. In this case, visualization of blood vessels is not possible.
3. At the last stage of development, those chicks that are not able to peck through the shell die. This occurs due to insufficient development of the beak.

The reasons for the death of embryos are various pathologies:

• infectious infections of the fetus;
• hereditary infections;
• high or low humidity inside the incubator;
• an increase or decrease in temperature beyond acceptable limits;
• disruption of gas exchange processes.

First actions after birth

When the incubation period comes to an end, it is necessary to prepare for the next stage. Hatching takes about 24 hours. Helping the chicks is allowed only one day after the shell begins to break. Until this time, the chicks hatch on their own. Description of the hatching process:

1. The chick makes a hole in the shell using its beak.
2. After the hole appears, there is a period of calm, then the viable duckling begins to expand the hole.
3. Using its paws, the duckling completely destroys the shell.

If the position of the chick in the shell was incorrect, a day after pipping, they help him get out.

Attention! If the vascular network is visible when the shell is scanned, then there is no need to help the chick, even if it attempts to peck through the shell. If the vascular network is destroyed from the outside, the chick will die.

After the ducklings hatch, you need to follow the action plan:

1. The chicks are allowed to dry.
2. After the fluff has dried, each chick is examined. The beak and eyes must be clean. When palpated, the abdomen should be firm, but not sagging.
3. After this, the umbilical cord is examined. The best option is that the umbilical cord is scarred.
4. All viable ducklings are transplanted into a prepared box.
5. For up to 10 days of life, the chicks are kept at a temperature of +28 degrees.

One day after hatching, the ducklings must meet certain characteristics:

• stand steadily;
• actively move;
• eat food with appetite;
• the fluff is evenly distributed on the body.

Common mistakes

The death of embryos or other problems that arise during the incubation period are associated with the fact that poultry farmers make typical mistakes:

1. Uneven heating. During cooling, lowering the temperature or ventilation, it is recommended to shift the material: from the edges to the center and vice versa. Lack of warming leads to increased mortality rates.
2. Fever. Fear of freezing chicks often leads the poultry farmer to raise the temperature. Heat shock resulting from increased temperature leads to the death of the embryo.
3. Humidity inconsistency. If the humidity drops too much, the air chamber inside the shell increases. The chicks begin to peck earlier than expected. The result is the appearance of small, weak ducklings.
4. Lack of ventilation. If you do not ventilate the material, you can create conditions for the birth of chicks with all sorts of defects. Such ducklings do not stand on their feet, do not show activity, and may die 7 days after hatching.

Tips for novice poultry farmers:

1. If you do not warm up the eggs before placing them in the incubator, the hatching time may be delayed.
2. If you lay defective eggs that have not been rejected, the complete death of the chicks is likely on the 2nd day.
3. Early hatching is possible when the temperature was excessively elevated in the second stage of incubation.
4. Difficulty pecking within 24 hours is observed in cases where the humidity level is periodically disturbed during incubation.

Taking into account the mistakes of previous clutches helps to normalize incubation, make the necessary adjustments and get healthy offspring of ducks.