Content of the article:
artificial incubation makes it possible to simultaneously extract a large number of even, strong ducks. Before laying the duck eggs in the incubator, at home they need to be properly collected, stored and discarded. Only in this case the spent efforts will give due result.
See also: correct incubation of chicken eggs and temperature control!
Collecting and storing duck eggs for an
incubator. A high percentage of live chicks will be released only if the rules for collecting and storing eggs are observed, as well as on how thoroughly the owner of the poultry house keeps clean.
In order to avoid mold, parasites and other infections, litter in the nests is changed every day. It is more convenient to do this in the evening, and from early morning to start collecting duck eggs for the incubator. If a fresh egg gets on the surface inseminated by bacteria, in a humid warm medium all the pathogenic, destructive for future chicks, the flora will penetrate through the pores in the shell.
In the warm season, when the eggs are not threatened with hypothermia and embryo death, they are collected every hour. But the colder it is on the street and in the house, the more often the poultry farmer must inspect the nests of layers.
Immediately after harvesting, eggs are not washed and in no case are cleaned by mechanical methods that can damage the integrity of the shell, but are dipped in an antiseptic solution. Until a sufficient number of eggs has been harvested, they are placed on the trays with a pointed end down, vertically or slightly tilted.
Storing duck eggs for incubation in an incubator is possible only at a temperature of 10–15 ° C and humidity of 75–80% for no longer than 8 days, otherwise the percentage of hatch will decrease significantly, and the resultingchicks will be weak.
Selection of duck eggs for incubation.
The incubator should receive only selected eggs, which can be determined by the correct form, the absence of any growths or nodules on the shell. A duck egg should be approximately the same size, flat and clean.
Reflection helps to reinforce the correctness of the choice. During this procedure, it is easy to detect microscopic cracks, irregularity of the shell, discard unfertilized, old or unviable for other reasons eggs, for example, with dark spots of mold inside or with spilled yolk.
At decent duck eggs getting into the incubator at home, you can see that:
- yolk is located strictly in the center;
- protein does not contain extraneous inclusions and is completely transparent during translucence;The
- air chamber inside the egg is small and located just below or near the blunt top.
Incubation of duck eggs at home.
. Duck eggs in the incubator are laid out with a pointed end down with a slight inclination. If the musk-breed ducks are to be hatched, then their egg is placed on the tray horizontally. This will ensure the early development of the embryo and a greater percentage of withdrawal.
In the incubator, which provides for the rotation of the trays, eggs in containers should be pre-fixed.
All the activities required to produce duck eggs in an incubator at home are shown in the table. It is easy to notice that the temperature gradually decreases over the entire period of incubation, and the humidity, on the contrary, increases. 
This is explained by the fact that as the embryo develops in the middle of the cycle, the egg itself begins to give off heat to the atmosphere. In addition to maintaining the optimum temperature for duck eggs, the incubator monitors the level of humidity.
The closer the chicks' time of spitting, the greater the evaporation of moisture that penetrates the shell through the pores. The uncontrolled process threatens the death of the embryo, and you can prevent it and cool the eggs with the help of regular spraying.
For irrigation, use pure water or a weak solution of potassium permanganate, which is sprayed from the fifth day of incubation twice a day during ventilation.
- from Day 1 to Day 14 - 37.5–38.0 ° C;
- from the 14th to the 21st day - 38.0–38.5 ° C;
- from the 21st to the 26th day - 38.5–39.0 ° C.
On an ongoing basis until the transfer to the output trays, eggs are constantly turned over. This should be done from 4 to 12 times a day, depending on the design of the incubator and the incubation period.
To control the condition of the eggs in the incubator for hatching, at home on the 8th, 13th and 25th day they are subjected to translucency. Eggs, inside of which there are no signs of development or if all the symptoms of spoilage exist, are removed.
If musk duck eggs are being loaded into the incubator, then the poultry farmer needs to know that it will take a little longer to incubate. Usually ducklings in an incubator appear after 33–36 days.
The table shows the whole cycle of care from egg laying up to the moment of musk duck chipping. 
Outputting ducklings in an incubator at home
At the first sign of nakleva duck eggs are transferred to the output trays. Here they are laid out horizontally. The first chicks appear on the 26th day, the last often go to the beginning of the 28th day.
When hatchery hatching starts in the incubator at home, just like when hatching goose, it is important to ensure good ventilation and temperature. Emerging chicks are transferred to dry ventilated rooms with a temperature of about 20–24 ° C.Here ducklings have to dry. After completion of the hatching, the bird is sorted and rejected if necessary.
The weight of a duckling suitable for further maintenance and rearing depends on the size of the egg, most often in the range of 55–70 grams. At the age of one day, the ducklings from the incubator stand well on their feet, are mobile, have excellent appetite and are covered with even quality fluff. On examination, attention is paid to the cleanliness of the eyes and the beak, which has disappeared and successfully healed the umbilical cord and a dense, non-hanging belly.
