All about the birth of ducklings using the incubation method

Poultry farming » Ducks

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1947

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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.

How many days do ducks hatch in an incubator?

On what day do ducklings hatch? The incubation period for duck eggs depends on the conditions created. So, under the hen, this time takes 28-33 days. But the hatching of musk ducks in the incubator begins only on the 35th day.

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Selection of material for incubation

Duck eggs for incubation must be ideal, the success of the entire event depends on this. You need to collect products that meet the criteria described below. Before bookmarking, you should check whether the selected copies fully meet these criteria. Selection is also necessary if it was decided to put the hatching on the “shoulders” of laying hens.

1. Duck eggs are large and reach a weight of 90 g, chicken eggs are much smaller. The shells of duck products are porous, white, with a greenish tint. In mute birds it has a yellow tint and is sometimes speckled. The material intended for incubation should not have cracks or growths; the shell should be smooth. Defects mean that the product is absolutely unsuitable for further use; it is better to immediately collect such damaged goods and get rid of them.
2. It is desirable that the selected eggs be of the same size and similar shape.
3. You should choose specimens with the cleanest possible shells. Ducks are dirty, they constantly dirty the bedding and even if you change it on time, they pollute everything that is in the nest. Some poultry houses suggest washing eggs before storing them. Their opponents believe that washing, on the contrary, should not be done under any circumstances, since it can damage the precious embryos, which as a result of such “washing” are born weak and sick.

Candling helps both beginners and experienced poultry keepers to ensure they have made the right choice before stocking. The procedure reveals all the cracks and unevenness, and also determines the condition of the fruit and the presence of mold inside. The “correct” air chamber in the testicle is located near the apex. In a good egg, the white is transparent, and the yolk is in the center and does not spread.

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.

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.

Features of the appearance of chicks

Ducklings are born weighing around 55-70 grams. The hatching process begins on the 27th day of laying and lasts 1-2 days. Healthy babies appear independently, without any outside help.

Last stage of incubation

1. Initially, the chick pecks a hole in the middle part.
2. Gradually, the biting area increases.
3. By resting its legs against the sharp edge, the chick breaks the shell.

If the position is incorrect, the hatching process becomes difficult. Experts advise poultry farmers to help those babies who cannot crawl out during the day. They need to make holes around the circumference, so they can break the hard shell.

But this is allowed only after preliminary screening. The formed baby looks like a black field; a light air chamber is also visible. In cases where vessels are visualized, it is prohibited to open the shell, because this can cause the baby’s death from blood loss.

Daily crumbs should:

• stand confidently on your feet;
• be mobile;
• be evenly covered with fluff;
• have an excellent appetite.

Basic conditions for the care and maintenance of ducklings

They look at the cleanliness of the eye, beak, and belly (it should be dense and not hanging). They check whether the umbilical cord is healed.

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.

The most common mistakes

During egg incubation, the slightest mistake can lead to negative consequences that will affect the health of the future young.

The most important mistakes are considered:

• overheating of eggs;
• small number of turns;
• incorrect humidity level, dry air inside the incubator;
• rare ventilation.

IMPORTANT : Any disturbed incubation condition can provoke the death of the embryo at any stage of development.

Storage before incubation

Before placing duck eggs in the incubator, they are sent for storage. Storing duck eggs for incubation is necessary for the following reasons:

1. Eggs that have been in storage have an increased chance of hatching.
2. During the cold season, eggs will die if they are left in the nest in the care of a laying hen.

After selection and before storing, it is best to clean dirty specimens. Washing by mechanical means is prohibited, as this harms the chicks. You need to wash it carefully; the treatment is done with an antiseptic solution, carefully lowering it into the substance.

The next step is to place the eggs vertically on the shelves.

Storage rules require suitable humidity and air temperature. Choose a dark and cool room for this event. The air temperature should not be less than 8°C and no more than 14°C. Humidity - up to 75%. The eggs are turned four times a day. Maximum shelf life is 7-8 days. Older eggs do not hatch well and there is no point in putting them in an incubator.

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.

What is a brooder and what is it for?

After the incubator, Muscovy ducks are most often raised in a brooder. There is nothing complicated in its construction. A plastic container, loose tub, basket, or cardboard box work great. The bottom of the brooder is usually lined with newspapers, which will absorb splashing water, and a bowl of water is placed in the far corner. When the ducklings grow a little, the bottom of the container can be lined with wood shavings.

The brooder should always be warm. A heat lamp can be placed above it and should not be turned off until after 8 weeks of age. It is up to this age that ducklings are not yet able to fully control their body. In order to determine the required temperature, you need to know that frozen ducks always huddle together, and if they are hot, they move as far away from the heat source as possible. The air temperature in the first week of life is usually set at 32.2°C. Then it gradually decreases until it equals the ambient temperature.

Hatched babies

When hatching ducklings in an incubator at home is approaching its last days, the eggs in which pecking has occurred are carefully transferred to a new place - to hatching trays. When hatching chicks, newborn ducklings should not be given assistance: try to break through the shell so that they get out. They must perform this action themselves, only after this the babies are transferred to a dry, well-ventilated room. In the first twenty days of life, it is better for ducklings to live in such warm conditions.

When the ducklings manage to dry out, a selection is carried out. The strong and healthy ones are kept, while the sickly ones are discarded. Raising birds quickly becomes expensive if you are too picky about selection. Make sure that the eyes and beak are clean, the belly is small and not drooping, and that the body is evenly covered with down.

You can entrust the rearing to laying hens, if you have them, or you can care for the chicks yourself. Incubation of duck eggs is just as popular these days as hatching chicks naturally using a hen with a nest. Those who have never done this should try it.

We told you about the rules of incubation and possible problems of the procedure, so now you can try this method yourself.