Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Ensure that the nest has been abandoned. Watch for the mother duck or other ducks in the area. Nests with few eggs early in the year may not be completed yet.
Check over the eggs without touching them, looking for cracks, discoloration, parasites, misshapes and incorrect size. If any of these signs are visible, the embryos are likely already dead.
Determine if you wish to raise the eggs yourself. If so, acquire the proper permits from your state game or wildlife department. If not, check with your local vetermarian, animal control organization or wildlife rehabilitation expert to report the abandoned nest; follow all instructions.
Candle the eggs with a flashlight or other bright light. In a dark room, place the egg on a solid surface and hold it steady with your fingertips. Cup the bright end of the flashlight so that it is a hair's breadth from the eggshell and all light goes through the egg. Dead eggs are clear, cloudy, yellow or lacking distinct blood vessels. If you have any doubts, a local veternarian or avian expert may provide assistance.
Purchase an incubator and a hatcher specifically for duck eggs from a farmer supply store, bird specialty store or online retailer. Incubators with automatic rotators simplify the process.
Follow the incubators instructions for temperature and humidity settings and suggested rotation schedules. Temperature should be approximately 99 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity should be at 55 percent.
Rotate the eggs five times a day if the incubator does not automatically rotate them.
Continue until candling reveals the white air pocket has expanded to nearly 1/4 the egg's interior, at approximately day 23.
Transfer eggs to the hatcher around day 25 and follow all recommended temperature and humidity settings. Temperature should stay around 99 degrees Fahrenheit with humidity at 65 percent until the eggs begin to pip, or crack. Then increase humidity to 80 percent. As hatching progresses, slowly lower heat to 97 degrees and humidity to 70 percent.
Wait for eggs to hatch on their own, only intervening if the duckling becomes stuck in the crack or hasn't made additional progress for more than 12 hours. Intervening for other reasons can hurt or kill the duckling.