How to incubate ducks: A comprehensive guide to hatching duck eggs successfully at home, simplifying the process for beginners.

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We started incubating chicken eggs ast year. During each incubation round, we learned so many invaluable lessons, and we felt pretty comfortable with the incubation process by the end of our third round. This year, we decided to take things up a notch, and try hatching duck eggs. To our great delight, it was a great success, and we actually found the process to be simpler than incubating chicks. Today I’m here to give you a full guide on how to incubate ducks and encourage you to give it a go!

Why You Should Try Incubating Ducks

If you can get your hands on fertile duck eggs and have an incubator available, then it’s just a no brainer. Popping the eggs into the incubator and even maintaining them is fairly easy, and the reward of gorgeous little ducklings is so sweet!
Incubating your own ducks is a lot cheaper than buying ducklings or grown ducks.
You can play around with incubating different duck breeds, such as muscovy ducks, welsh harlequin duck, or just common ducks
Incubating ducks or chicks is such a fascinating process, and is especially fun for kids to watch & lear

What You’ll Need

fertile eggs
egg incubator
duck brooding box

How to Incubate Ducks 101

If this is your first time incubating poultry, there are a few basics that you need to become familiar with, as well as a few key pieces of equipment you will need to get the job done.

Incubator

In order to incubate ducks or chicks, you will need an incubator. There are many different incubators available on the market. When we were picking out our incubator, the choice was quite overwhelming. While some of the differences between incubators are mostly aesthetic, others are more important. Here are some of the most important things you should consider when picking out an incubator:

Size: How many eggs will you want to incubate at a time? How many fertile eggs do you even have available to incubate? Incubator sizes vary greatly, from small incubators holding 10 eggs, to large commercial incubators that hold 600 eggs. Our incubator hold 62 eggs, and we are pretty happy with this size. Note that not all eggs will hatch, so we are never left with 62 chicks or ducks.
Egg turning: During the incubation process, the eggs have to be rotated regularly, every 90 minutes or so, to increase the odds of a properly developing embryo. Some incubators have an automatic egg turner, while others have to rotate the eggs by hand. I highly recommend purchasing an incubator with automatic egg rotation.
Humidity: Humidity is extremely important when hatching poultry. Each type of bird requires a slightly different humidity level for optimal hatching rate. There also needs to a humidity change the last 3 days of the hatching process to allow the ducks to break out of their shell easily. Once again, there are incubators that maintain humidity levels automatically, and others where this has to be regulated manually. I recommend purchasing an incubator that not only maintains the humidity levels automatically but also one that can draw water from a reservoire and refill itself. Ours does maintain humidity levels, but does not draw water from a reservoir, and this is the main downside of the model we opted for.
Temperature: Just like humidity, temperature has to be maintained at a specific level as well. I think that at this point most incubators maintain temperature by themselves, but this is an important point to check.

Fertile Hatching Eggs

If you can get your hands on poultry eggs locally, or if you have your own eggs that can be used in an incubator, way to go! If not, you can purchase duck hatching eggs (or any other type of egg) online and have them shipped to you via the Post Office. When purchasing eggs, make sure to ask about fertilization percentage as well as the cleanliness of the eggs. Both of those are crucial to a successfully poultry hatch.

Hatch Time

Hatch time varies for different types of poultry. Chickens need 21 days to hatch, while ducks hatch in 28 days. You can find all of this information online, or in the manual that comes with your incubator. An important thing to note is that the last 3 days of the hatching process require an adjustment of temperature and humidity. You will also (usually) have to remove the egg rotating mechanism and lay the eggs flat in the incubator. Once again, your incubator manual should provide more info specific to the type of poultry you’re hatching.

Duckling Brooder Box

Set up a brooder box where you will transfer the newly hatched duckling. Make sure there is enough space, a heat lamp, fresh water, and food available.

eggs placed in the tray of the incubator

How to Incubate Ducks

Gather eggs: use your own fertilized eggs, source them locally or buy online and have them shipped via the post office. Either way, store eggs at room temperature, tip facing downwards for at least 24 hours before going into the incubator.
Preheat incubator: Most incubators require to be running for a couple hours before the eggs go in. If this is your first time using a new incubator, make sure to follow the calibration instructions for both temperature and humidity calibration.
Insert Eggs: When the incubator temperature and humidity levels are up to your desired levels, it’s time to load it up with eggs. We incubate our ducks at 37.5C ( 99.5 F) with a humidity of 55-60% for the first 25 days. Make sure to use clean eggs, however do not wash them off. Eggs for incubation need to have the bloom (naturally occurring bacteria) on their surface intact. Dirty eggs could introduce bacteria into the incubator and not only will the probably not hatch, but they could negatively affect the hatching process of the other eggs too.
Maintain: Now comes the marathon part of the incubation process. For the next 25 days, your job is to maintain the desired temperature and humidity as closely as possible. The more automatic your incubator, the less work this will be for you. For us, the only thing we have to really watch is the humidity level. Our incubator has two small holes on the side that are in place for water refills. If any of the levels fall below the programmed setting, the incubator will set off an alarm that usually even wakes us at night.
Hatch: On day 25, it is time to take the eggs out of the egg turning tray, and increase the humidity to 65-70% and the temperature to 37.5C (99.5F). Then you just sit back and look for the first pip!
Baby Ducks: Once a baby duck hatches, leave it in the incubator for at least 24 hours to allow it to fully dry out. Then, make sure that no other eggs are pipped before quickly opening the incubator lid and removing all the fluffy ducklings. Transfer to your brooder box.
Be patient: Give ducks enough time to hatch. During our last incubation round, ducklings were hatching even several days after the 28 day mark. We generally keep the incubator running until day 35. Any unhacthed eggs can be discarded by that point.
Clean the incubator: make sure to wash out your incubator thoroughly, preferably without the use of any chemicals. We usually use a white wine vinegar solution and warm water. Allow is to air out outside, then carefully store away before you will need it for your next round of incubating.

Tips for how to incubate ducks

Choose Healthy Eggs

Select clean, undamaged eggs with no cracks for better hatch rates.

Temperature and Humidity

Maintain a consistent temperature of around 99.5°F (37.5°C) and humidity of 55-60% for the incubation period.

Monitor Air Quality

Ensure good ventilation in the incubator to provide fresh air while preventing drafts that could chill the eggs.

Late Turning

Stop turning the eggs on day 25 to prepare for hatching. Increase humidity to 65-70% for the last few days.

Prepare for Hatching

Create a calm, quiet environment for hatching. Avoid opening the incubator unnecessarily during this time.

Post-Hatch Care

Transfer ducklings to a warm, clean brooder with access to water and chick starter feed. Ensure they have space to move around.

Learn from Experience

Each hatch can teach valuable lessons. Take notes on what works best in terms of temperature, humidity, and handling.

Patience is Key

Incubating duck eggs may take longer than chicken eggs (typically around 28 days), so be patient throughout the process.

FAQ

Duck eggs typically hatch in about 28-30 days, though Muscovy duck eggs may take longer.

Maintain a temperature of around 99.5°F (37.5°C) and humidity between 55-60% during most of the incubation period. Increase humidity to 65-70% in the final days before hatching.

Candling the eggs around day 7 can reveal blood vessels and embryo development, indicating fertility.

The air cell forms at the large end of the egg as the egg loses moisture during incubation. It provides oxygen to the developing embryo and is crucial for proper hatching.

Yes, duck eggs should be turned at least three times a day for the first 25 days to prevent the embryo from sticking to the shell membrane.

If eggs remain unhatched after the incubation period, they may be infertile or have stopped developing. Remove them from the incubator to prevent spoilage.

Yes, a broody duck or hen can incubate duck eggs naturally. Ensure a quiet, dark nesting area and provide food and water nearby.

Maintain consistent temperature and humidity levels, ensure proper ventilation, and use a reliable incubator with automatic turning capabilities for best results.

Temperature fluctuations can impact hatch rates. Monitor the incubator closely and adjust settings as needed to maintain stable conditions.

Stop turning the eggs on day 25 of incubation and increase humidity to 65-70% to prepare for hatching.

Only assist if absolutely necessary and after careful consideration. Gently moisten the egg membrane with lukewarm water to help the duckling hatch.

Yes, you can incubate different breeds like Khaki Campbell, Pekin, and Muscovy eggs together, but note that each breed may have slightly different requirements.

Provide ducklings with chick starter feed and fresh water immediately after hatching to support their growth and development.

Keep ducklings in a warm brooder until they are fully feathered, usually around 6-8 weeks old, before introducing them to outdoor temperatures.

Resources like Metzer Farms and local agricultural extension services offer valuable guidance on the entire incubation process and raising your own ducklings.

How to Incubate Duck Eggs & Hatch Your Own Ducks

How to incubate ducks: A comprehensive guide to hatching duck eggs successfully at home, simplifying the process for beginners.

Materials

Fertile Hatching Eggs

Tools

Incubator
Duckling Brooder Box

Instructions

Gather eggs: use your own fertilized eggs, source them locally or buy online and have them shipped via the post office. Either way, store eggs at room temperature, tip facing downwards for at least 24 hours before going into the incubator.
Preheat incubator: Most incubators require to be running for a couple hours before the eggs go in. If this is your first time using a new incubator, make sure to follow the calibration instructions for both temperature and humidity calibration.
Insert Eggs: When the incubator temperature and humidity levels are up to your desired levels, it's time to load it up with eggs. We incubate our ducks at 37.5C ( 99.5 F) with a humidity of 55-60% for the first 25 days. Make sure to use clean eggs, however do not wash them off. Eggs for incubation need to have the bloom (naturally occurring bacteria) on their surface intact. Dirty eggs could introduce bacteria into the incubator and not only will the probably not hatch, but they could negatively affect the hatching process of the other eggs too.
Maintain: Now comes the marathon part of the incubation process. For the next 25 days, your job is to maintain the desired temperature and humidity as closely as possible. The more automatic your incubator, the less work this will be for you. For us, the only thing we have to really watch is the humidity level. Our incubator has two small holes on the side that are in place for water refills. If any of the levels fall below the programmed setting, the incubator will set off an alarm that usually even wakes us at night.
Hatch: On day 25, it is time to take the eggs out of the egg turning tray, and increase the humidity to 65-70% and the temperature to__. Then you just sit back and look for the first pip!
Baby Ducks: Once a baby duck hatches, leave it in the incubator for at least 24 hours to allow it to fully dry out. Then, make sure that no other eggs are pipped before quickly opening the incubator lid and removing all the fluffy ducklings. Transfer to your brooder box.
Be patient: Give ducks enough time to hatch. During our last incubation round, ducklings were hatching even several days after the 28 day mark. We generally keep the incubator running until day 35. Any unhacthed eggs can be discarded by that point.
Clean the incubator: make sure to wash out your incubator thoroughly, preferably without the use of any chemicals. We usually use a white wine vinegar solution and warm water. Allow is to air out outside, then carefully store away before you will need it for your next round of incubating.

Notes

Choose Healthy Eggs: Select clean, undamaged eggs with no cracks for better hatch rates.
Temperature and Humidity: Maintain a consistent temperature of around 99.5°F (37.5°C) and humidity of 55-60% for the incubation period.
Monitor Air Quality: Ensure good ventilation in the incubator to provide fresh air while preventing drafts that could chill the eggs.
Late Turning: Stop turning the eggs on day 25 to prepare for hatching. Increase humidity to 65-70% for the last few days.
Prepare for Hatching: Create a calm, quiet environment for hatching. Avoid opening the incubator unnecessarily during this time.
Post-Hatch Care: Transfer ducklings to a warm, clean brooder with access to water and chick starter feed. Ensure they have space to move around.
Learn from Experience: Each hatch can teach valuable lessons. Take notes on what works best in terms of temperature, humidity, and handling.
Patience is Key: Incubating duck eggs may take longer than chicken eggs (typically around 28 days), so be patient throughout the process.