Breeding eggs in the incubator allows you to control the breeding of duck livestock, regardless of the desire of ducks. It is only important to carefully study the incubation features: select and prepare suitable eggs, lay in the incubator, monitor the regimes and get healthy young animals on time. Further in the article all step-by-step events are described in detail.
Egg selection and incubation preparation
Breeding strong and healthy ducklings begins with the selection of eggs. Duck eggs are larger than chicken, and their thick white shell has a greenish tint.
Discard eggs:
- Custom shape. Instances with any deviations do not fit - too round or, conversely, too elongated.
- With defects. Lay specimens with chips, shell deformations, cracks.
- With calcareous growths.
- With two yolks.
The optimal egg parameters for the incubator:
Parameter | Value |
Weight | 75-90 g |
Translucent Characteristics |
|
The form | standard |
Shell | smooth and clean |
Store eggs in a ventilated area. Optimum environmental conditions: temperature conditions - 8-13 ° C, humidity conditions - 75%. Eggs are laid in trays - blunt ends down. Fresh duck eggs intended for divorce are not recommended to be stored for longer than a week.
To obtain the maximum yield of ducklings, the eggs are subjected to ovoscopy - translucency. With its help, microcracks, uneven shell thickness, internal defects are detected. Transillumination allows you to see what is behind the shell - for example, mold or damage to the yolk.
Wash eggs or not?
Often duck eggs are smeared with droppings. Many are interested in washing them or not washing them. It is believed that washing the eggs before incubation is not worth it. But, according to experienced poultry farmers, if an egg is contaminated by more than half, it should be washed.
Eggs are washed very carefully - all specimens damaged during washing are subject to rejection. Eggs can be washed manually - using a soft sponge, or using a spray bottle (spray gun).
Washed eggs are disinfected in potassium permanganate to destroy pathogenic fungi, mold, salmonella.
How the eggs are incubated is shown in the video below:
Opponents of washing eggs will say that in nature no one is washing eggs. But a duck is a waterfowl animal, when it hatches eggs, it cleans eggs from droppings with its wet feathers and paws.
Rules for the withdrawal of ducklings using an incubator
Basic incubation rules:
- Incubators must be of high quality and reliable - the slightest damage threatens with losses.
- It is important to strictly observe the incubation regime - temperature, humidity, etc.
- For hatching, only high-quality eggs are selected - they are determined by their appearance and after translucency.
To get offspring, you must:
- Provide fresh air to the incubator.
- Maintain a predetermined humidity level.
- Monitor the heating temperature.
- Prepare equipment for work:
- wash and dry the trays;
- pour water into the holes;
- raise the temperature to the specified values.
Features of the incubation apparatus
An incubator is an apparatus in which the conditions necessary for hatching are maintained. If the device is set up correctly, the entire incubation process is automated.
In the incubation machine regulate:
- ventilation
- gas exchange;
- temperature
- humidity.
The market presents models of various levels - from simple to innovative. Complete set of a usual incubator:
- egg-laying trays;
- ventilation system;
- alarm - reports overheating;
- air heater;
- mechanism for turning eggs.
In more expensive and modern models, the trays are turned alternately in one direction or the other at an angle of 45 degrees. There is another option - the eggs are turned over with a special “pusher”. But the second option is less safe - injuries to the embryos are not ruled out.
The industry offers incubators containing from 35 to 100 eggs.
Comparison of Indoor Duck, Moulard and Wild Duck Eggs
Comparison of eggs of varieties of ducks:
- Indochka. The eggs are white, with a smooth and dense shell. Weight - 75-80 g. Due to the strong shell, eggs are difficult to break. The eggs are usually clean - the neat birds are neat birds. Incubation of eggs of indoor ducks is 5-10 days longer than that of ordinary ducks - it lasts 30-35 days.
- Mulard. A hybrid of a domestic duck with a turkey. Eggs are smaller than ducks and indolets - only 50-60 g. The shape is ordinary, oblong, like all other ducks. The yellowish shell is covered with a speckled pattern - moulard eggs look like turkey. The duration of incubation of mulard eggs is 30-31 days.
- Wild ducks. Eggs of different shades are white, brownish-greenish. The incubation period is 26-28 days.
The incubation modes of duck eggs, wild ducks, mulards and indolets practically do not differ from each other, but the timing of the hatching is different. It is most convenient to incubate together domestic and wild ducks - their chicks hatch almost simultaneously, but when the spread in hatching times is a whole week, the process becomes more complicated.
Incubator material
Selected eggs are washed, the incubator is washed, it remains to put marks on the sides. On one side of the eggs put "+", on the other "-". Such marks help to turn the eggs correctly - without marks it is easy to get confused which egg is turned over and which is not. Egg laying is recommended in the morning.
Bookmark Order:
- Warming up the device to +38 ° С.
- Pouring water into the gutters of the incubation apparatus.
- Warming eggs at room temperature.
- Egg laying. First, lay the largest eggs, after 4 hours - the rest.
Temperature before laying duck eggs:
Period | Temperature ° C |
Storage before incubation | 8-13 |
Warming up before bookmarking | 25 |
Incubator warming | 37,8-38,3 |
Eggs should not be stacked too closely - there will be problems with turning. If the incubator has an automatic flip function, the eggs are covered with mesh material on top.
Incubation of duck eggs at home
Before laying eggs in an incubator, novice farmers must learn the process order, its nuances and modes. Duck eggs should always be in comfort, and the temperature and humidity conditions will change depending on the stage of hatching.
What are the modes?
There are 4 modes of “incubation” of eggs in the incubator, which vary depending on the period.
The incubation conditions of duck eggs depending on the period are described in the table:
The incubation period of eggs duck / indole, day | Temperature ° C | Humidity% | Hardening | The number of coups | Note |
1-7 | 38 | 70 | not | 4 | Small gaps should remain between the eggs - they should not be closely pressed against each other. |
8-14 | 37,6 | 60 | not | 4-6 | It is not necessary to add water, just eggs are sprayed every day. Turn on the ventilation. |
15-25/15-30 | 37,8 | 60 | 2 times a day - cooled by spraying to 30 ° C | 4-6 | Revolutions increase up to 6 times a day. Cool the eggs - open the incubator 2 times a day for 20 minutes. |
26-28/31-35 | 37,5 | 80-90 | not | not | If there are few eggs, the temperature is kept at 37.5 ° C; if there are many, 37.2 ° C. |
There is a lot of fat in duck eggs and a little water, and they, unlike chicken ones, are more at risk of overheating.
Stages of embryo development in an incubator
Embryo Development:
- First week. In this period, the organs of future ducklings are formed, the heartbeat begins. The length of the embryo is 2 cm.
- Second week. A skeleton of a chick is formed. Gradually increasing respiratory rate. First, the embryo breathes the yolk oxygen, then - the external oxygen entering through the shell.
Stages of development of the embryo:
The age of the embryo, day | What's happening? |
2 | The circulatory system is formed |
4 | The beginnings of limbs are formed |
5 | Allantois (germinal membrane) is visualized. |
8 | Beak begins to form - its shape is laid |
10 | Nipples are formed under the feathers on the back |
11 | Beak is finally formed |
13 | Allantois formed inside the shell |
14 | A fluff appears on the head |
15 | The body is covered with fluff |
23 | Chick retracts the yolk |
24 | Eyes begin to open |
26 | Eyes are fully open |
27 | The biting process begins |
Offspring
The timing of hatching duck eggs depends not only on the type of ducks (wild, indochka, mulard), but also on the conditions created. In the incubator, the chicks hatch on 26-28 days, under the brood hen on 28-33 days.
To speed up hatching, poultry farmers often use formalin 20%. But only on condition that the term for the withdrawal of young animals is violated. For example, if the incubator was disrupted.
When and how to spray?
During incubation, the egg loses moisture - it evaporates through the pores of the shell. And the closer to the time of pecking, the more moisture is lost. That is why at the last stage the humidity in the incubator is increased - up to 90%. In addition, evaporation of moisture is compensated by spraying.
Spraying simultaneously cools and moisturizes the egg. Spray the eggs from the spray bottle with warm water. In some incubators, spraying is not needed - there you can cool the eggs and raise the humidity to 95%. Similar systems are available in industrial incubation apparatus, designed for thousands of eggs.
Do i need to turn eggs?
The yolk, characterized by a lower specific gravity, is always in the upper position. Reasons for turning eggs during incubation is a prerequisite for successful egg hatching:
- Prevention of desiccation of the embryo to the shell. Do not stick together internal organs.
- The correct position of the embryo at the end of incubation.
- Uniform distribution of overheating throughout the egg.
It is recommended to turn eggs 4-6 times a day. This is especially important in the first week of incubation. These manipulations increase% hatchability.
Studies were conducted that showed the dependence of hatchability on the number of turns:
- the eggs were not turned over at all - 15% of the laid eggs were hatched;
- 2 coups per day - 45%;
- 5 coups - 60%.
In order not to get confused with the flips, they start a journal in which they indicate the time of flipping and a symbol - the egg is marked on both sides.
Airing
Any incubator has a ventilation system. Thanks to her, future ducklings breathe oxygen, and carbon dioxide is removed to the outside. There are two types of ventilation:
- Permanent. Here the air circulation is not interrupted.
- Periodic. With such a system, the fan is turned on once a day.
If there is not enough air, the embryos may die. In order to avoid the death of embryos, the norms of oxygen absorption by future ducklings should be taken into account:
- 2 weeks - 2.5-3 liters of air per day;
- the day before hatching - 8-10 liters of air per day.
Ventilation is started on the 3rd day after the start of incubation. On the 18-20 day of incubation, airing is turned on to the maximum.
How are musk ducks incubated?
Indians are hatching longer than ordinary ducks - they hatch only on 34-35 days.
Incubation of eggs
Parameters | the period from 1 to 16 days | the period from 17 to 29 days | the period from 30 to 34 days |
Optimum temperature, ° С | 38 | 37,5 | 37 |
The number of coups | 6 | 6 | — |
Spraying once a day | 1 | 1-2 | 3-4 |
Humidity% | 70 | 60 | 85 |
Cooling | 1 time after 10 days | 2 times for 20 minutes | — |
If you observe the temperature and humidity conditions, it is possible to achieve a hatchability of 70%. Since the incubation order of ordinary ducks and indolets is different, do not lay their eggs in one incubator.
Ovoscopy and rejection
During the incubation, the eggs are translucent in order to timely reject the eggs:
- The first transmission. It is carried out on the 7-8th day of incubation. You can see which eggs are fertilized and which are not. In the first, embryos are visible. If the embryo dies, a ring of blood surrounding the yolk is visible.
- Second transillumination. Spend on the 14th day of incubation. The germinal membrane is visible - the embryonic respiratory organ involved in gas exchange. The embryos that died during this period are called dead. Blood vessels are not visible in such eggs, and the fetus is dark and shapeless.
- Third transillumination. Held on day 26. 2-3 days before the young. Identify the dead embryos, evaluate the development of the living. The embryo occupies the entire egg, its contours and stirring are distinguishable.
The presence of a transparent light spot from the acute end is a sign of the lag of the chick in development. If the fetus does not move, it is dead. The embryos that died during this period are “suffocating”. These are formed but not hatched chicks. Often in the acute part there is a lack of allantois.
If there are a lot of frozen and not hatched chicks, it is advisable to find out the reason for this situation. A large% of embryo death is observed with:
- hereditary pathologies;
- infectious lesions;
- embryo dystrophy;
- excessive or insufficient moisture;
- insufficient heating or overheating;
- violation of gas exchange.
The appearance of chicks and further actions
The order of hatching chicks:
- When the time of hatching comes, the chick makes a hole in its shell with its beak.
- The chick is gradually expanding the bite.
- Leaning on the sharp edge of the egg, the chick destroys the shell.
- If the chick is improperly located in the egg, the process is complicated. If the nestling does not manage to get out of the egg during the day, they help him - they make a hole in a circle to simplify the breaking of the hard shell.
Before helping the chick hatch, the egg is shone through. The formed chick is visible dark, also manages to see a bright air chamber. If the vascular network is visible, it is impossible to break the shell - the chick will die from blood loss.
The hatching process takes approximately 24 hours. The weight of a healthy newborn duckling is 50-70 g. One day after hatching, the chicks:
- stand on their feet;
- actively moving;
- evenly covered with down;
- eat with appetite.
The first actions of the poultry breeder when ducklings appear:
- Waiting - all ducklings must dry.
- Thoroughly examine the livestock in order to identify non-viable individuals. The poultry breeder examines the beak and eyes - they must be clean. The abdomen is tight and not hanging. It is important to check the umbilical cord - whether it is scarred.
- Transplant the young in the box.
- Maintain optimal temperature, until the 10th day - 28 ° C, from 10 to the 21st - 22-24 ° C.
What can beginners make mistakes?
The most common problems and omissions in breeding ducklings:
- The eggs are warming unevenly. Before turning on / doing ventilation or cooling, the eggs should be mixed - those that lie in the center, shift to the edges, and vice versa. Insufficient heat production leads to high mortality.
- Heat. Due to overheating, all offspring can die. Heat stroke leads to the cessation of the development of chicks - this can happen at any stage of elimination.
- Low humidity. The weight of the eggs is reduced, when scanned, enlarged air chambers are visible. Chicks start biting ahead of schedule. Ducklings are small.
- High humidity. Withdrawal is delayed. Many chicks die during hatching, drowning in the amniotic fluid.
- No ventilation. Defective chicks are born. Embryos lie head to a sharp edge - this is a pathology.
Comparing the incubation mode with the hatching results, it is possible to determine the cause of the problem:
- If there is a delay in hatching, it is likely that the eggs were not sufficiently warmed before laying in the incubator.
- If the chicks are weakened and die during the first day, it is likely that defective eggs were laid for incubation.
- If early excretion is observed, most likely, an increased temperature was maintained in the second half of the incubation.
- If nibbling was difficult, inferior eggs may have been incubated or the moisture regime was impaired.
If many unfertilized eggs are rejected, you should take a closer look at the parent pair; perhaps they need enhanced, vitamin nutrition.
Having an incubator and high-quality duck eggs, you can breed ducks yourself. If there is no experience in breeding ducklings, arm yourself with detailed instructions. By clearly following all the requirements, the first time you can achieve a high percentage of hatchability.
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