What am I doing wrong?

[Happy Hill Farmstead]

I need help figuring out what I am doing wrong with hatching ducklings. I am using kebonnixs incubators and for the last several duck hatched I have had babies make it to internal pipping and then they die, I feel like their air sacs aren’t big enough. I monitor the humidity and temps all throughout incubation and go by the temp is 99.5 and the humidity is 50-60% until lockdown and then 60-70% at lockdown. I live in Western North Carolina if that helps anyone in figuring out humidity level requirements. It makes me sad when they get so close and then don’t make it. Thanks for an advice!

 

[Penpal]

I would like to know this, too. Incubating my first eggs, six of them. I have a thermometer on the shelf the eggs are on, and the incubator has a thermometer on the lid. The temps and moisture readings are always different. Could your readings be unclear because of where the thermometer is?

 

[Happy Hill Farmstead]

Do I need to try adjusting my humidity up or down?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I would like to know this, too. Incubating my first eggs, six of them. I have a thermometer on the shelf the eggs are on, and the incubator has a thermometer on the lid. The temps and moisture readings are always different. Could your readings be unclear because of where the thermometer is?

In a still air incubator the temperature and humidity will vary depending on height since warm air rises. In a forced air they should be the same throughout but sometimes you can have pockets if you have obstructions to air flow.

Do I need to try adjusting my humidity up or down?

My suggestion is to try a certain humidity and see what happens. If you see that you need to adjust your humidity during incubation them adjust it. It's trial and error. Different humidities work for different ones of us.

If your air sacs are not big enough, lower your humidity during the incubation phase and see what happens. Keep tweaking it until you are happy with your results. Keep humidity high during lockdown though.

 

[Happy Hill Farmstead]

In a still air incubator the temperature and humidity will vary depending on height since warm air rises. In a forced air they should be the same throughout but sometimes you can have pockets if you have obstructions to air flow.


My suggestion is to try a certain humidity and see what happens. If you see that you need to adjust your humidity during incubation them adjust it. It's trial and error. Different humidities work for different ones of us.

If your air sacs are not big enough, lower your humidity during the incubation phase and see what happens. Keep tweaking it until you are happy with your results. Keep humidity high during lockdown though.

Thanks! I will lower humidity during incubation with the next ones. What should it be during lockdown for best results if they have lost the appropriate amount during incubation? What if they lose too much?

 

[My15Ducks]

I had my humidity at 70% during hatching. It spiked up to 80% when the ducklings started hatching because the ducklings are wet.

You might want to try dry incubation where you don’t add any water until incubation. When I dry incubated duck eggs, the humidity was 40-50%. 28 out of 29 hatched

 

[My15Ducks]

I had my humidity at 70% during hatching. It spiked up to 80% when the ducklings started hatching because the ducklings are wet.

You might want to try dry incubation where you don’t add any water until incubation. When I dry incubated duck eggs, the humidity was 40-50%. 28 out of 29 hatched

Don’t add water until lockdown is what I meant. Oops, my brain is tired

 

[Ridgerunner]

What should it be during lockdown for best results if they have lost the appropriate amount during incubation?

65% to 70% is a good target. When they start hatching the humidity can spike. I've had it hit 85% and still get good hatches.

What if they lose too much?

Still 65% to 70%. You are not going to add moisture back inside the egg. There is a wide range that is OK and this gives them as good a chance as you can give them as far as I'm concerned.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I incubate duck eggs the same as chicken eggs. 99.5°F, & 35% - 45% humidity until lockdown, then increase humidity to 55% - 65% for hatching.
I do on occasion lower incubator temperature to around 98.5°F on lockdown since chicks, & ducklings can now produce some of their own body heat at that stage. It also helps keep the humidity to where it needs to be.

Was pretty successful hatching duck eggs the first time like this. 3/6 hatched from shipped eggs.

 

[Happy Hill Farmstead]

I incubate duck eggs the same as chicken eggs. 99.5°F, & 35% - 45% humidity until lockdown, then increase humidity to 55% - 65% for hatching.
I do on occasion lower incubator temperature to around 98.5°F on lockdown since chicks, & ducklings can now produce some of their own body heat at that stage. It also helps keep the humidity to where it needs to be.

Was pretty successful hatching duck eggs the first time like this. 3/6 hatched from shipped eggs.

Thank you!