# hatching duck eggs



## HouseElfLamanchas (Apr 12, 2013)

i read that the temps to hatch duck eggs were 99.0 to 99.5. i made an incubator via YouTube instructions i just have one question the temps go from 100.0 in the afternoon/ evening to 80.0 degrees at night on my incubator. is that 80.0 degrees too low? im not wooried about the 100 til it hits 105 then its too high.

im also not sure how to tell how much humidity i have in my incubator can anyone tell me how?


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## happyhogs (Oct 12, 2009)

Yes, the 80 degrees is too low I'm afraid, it's unlikely your eggs will hatch and if they do, it'll be a low hatch rate with small, weak ducklings.

I hate to say it but most 'home-made' incies really aren't much good, they just don't keep temps or humidity at a steady enough level and are too easily influenced by their environment....clearly shown in yours by this night time drop in temps.You can afford a degree or two's difference in fluctuation as long as most of the time it is at temp but not 20 degrees every night.

As for humidity, you need to buy a hygrometer...you can get them at reptile stockists and on ebay or amazon. Be careful though, to check the probe end for size. I recently bought a hygrometer from ebay, only to find that the probe end was then too big to fit through the ventilation hole in my incy and therefore I couldn't use it and had to send it back.


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## HouseElfLamanchas (Apr 12, 2013)

oh wow ok thanks well i have the incubator out in the barn the barn has open windows im going to see if i turn all heat lamps on close all windows and doors if this will work. if it doesnt then i will have to buy an incubator. i better find out how mucj a hygrometer costs at my local pet store they have reptile stuff  thanks again


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## happyhogs (Oct 12, 2009)

You will probably find better success at evening temps out if you keep the incy in the house....is this possible? There tend to be less drastic temp and humidity variations in the house. I keep mine in a spare bedroom with no heating on but mine is the Rcom I mentioned yesterday which is self heating, self humidifying and auto-turning....you literally plug it in and off it goes.


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## norcalgoats (Feb 22, 2014)

Did u put a thermostat in your incubator? Thermometer with hygrograph is $10 @ home depot. I definitely would use a thermostat and monitor it for a day before putting anything in it. We use paper towels wet down put not dripping with nails on the walls of our incubator and the temp is usually okay. We had a drop the other day but it was human error.


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## HouseElfLamanchas (Apr 12, 2013)

norcalgoats said:


> Did u put a thermostat in your incubator? Thermometer with hygrograph is $10 @ home depot. I definitely would use a thermostat and monitor it for a day before putting anything in it. We use paper towels wet down put not dripping with nails on the walls of our incubator and the temp is usually okay. We had a drop the other day but it was human error.


yeah i bought a meat thermometer. thats how i know it went down to 80 degrees . lol but i do need to get a hyrograph asap. how much humidity should i have for the duck eggs?


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## norcalgoats (Feb 22, 2014)

In mine I have a hot water thermostat. It shuts the light off at 101 degrees and back on at 99.5 so it stays a pretty constant temperature in there. It was $8 at home depot. I was scared to wire it in but it was actually super easy and I did it without even needing my husband


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## HouseElfLamanchas (Apr 12, 2013)

norcalgoats said:


> In mine I have a hot water thermostat. It shuts the light off at 101 degrees and back on at 99.5 so it stays a pretty constant temperature in there. It was $8 at home depot. I was scared to wire it in but it was actually super easy and I did it without even needing my husband


oh wow thats cool! so how does the water thermo work? do you have to buy the light with it or?


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## norcalgoats (Feb 22, 2014)

I got a 6 foot extention cord and cut only one of the two little sides of it. Like I didn't cut all the wires cause there's two chambers only cut 1. Then strip back the wires and wrap it around the posts on the thermostat and screw it down. It's pretty much that easy. But u want to do it closer to the side where u can plug stuff in at cause the thermostat has to go inside. Then I got a light bulb insert thing with the place for the light bulb on one side and a plug on the other and plugged it in to the extention cord. You have to have the thermostat like 1/2 an inch from the bulb. And have to keep adjusting the temp until the inside temp of the incubator is right. After you put eggs in it will be a few degrees colder but don't mess with it! The eggs are cold and have to heat up the temp will regulate


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## norcalgoats (Feb 22, 2014)

It has to be one of those cheap extention cords. Like the brown or white ones. I leave the incubator on my porch and it's fine.


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## HouseElfLamanchas (Apr 12, 2013)

ok so the first image is my set up for daytime hours i plan to lower the lights as night comes around. the second pic is of my thermo its kinda right on the dot isnt it. for day time? when i lower the lights the temp gets up to 120 on the thermo. so i figure at night it will be just fine. but im going to experiment tonight. with it


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## norcalgoats (Feb 22, 2014)

Yea I'm not familiar with that set up. I use something like that as a brooder though. I strongly recommend a digital thermometer and hygrometer though


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## HouseElfLamanchas (Apr 12, 2013)

norcalgoats said:


> Yea I'm not familiar with that set up. I use something like that as a brooder though. I strongly recommend a digital thermometer and hygrometer though


 im definately going to get those


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## HouseElfLamanchas (Apr 12, 2013)

i got a different incubator. its little giant still air incubator with a themometer included. i know for duck eegs you need humidity. so does anyone use this incubator? its styrofoam


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