[HesterF]

I set 14 duck eggs (all Silver Appleyards) 28 days ago. 13 were fertile although one of those died really early. The other 12 all seemed to be developing normally. Because of the hatching problems I had last year, I was tracking weight loss really carefully and thought they seemed to be OK. Only two pipped externally and both of those are now out. Of the rest I think all have died (two not sure about because still bleeding and don't want to interfere more but not holding up high hopes). Three had pipped internally and were peeping this morning but died at some point today - all looked perfectly placed etc.

Looking at my records, the only thing I can see about the two that made it out is that one had lost more than the target weight at 23 days, and one was precisely right. Only one other egg had more weight loss than it should have done. All the rest had not quite lost enough (within a couple of grams). If this is the problem, it is a very precise science and I'm not sure what I could have done to make the weight loss greater - they were run on a dry incubator (about 25% relative humidity which is natural atmospheric conditions) until shut down on Monday when I maxed out on humidity. I did open the incubator this morning after the two that had pipped had made no progress for 24 hours and I was worried they wouldn't make it (probably rightly given the rest).

Any thoughts? My first duck batch this year was a couple of weeks ago and that was much better although mostly Cayugas - the Silver Appleyard fertility was awful that early. In contrast my first chicken hatch this year was six eggs set, six eggs hatched all by themselves (and I think the added bonus that it appears to be two cockerels, four hens - yay). Ducks just seem more problematic 

[clydesdaleclopper]

Is it related to the health of the parent stock? Is there a chance if them being too closely related?

[HesterF]

I don't think so. Last year was poor hatching too and the drake was unrelated to any of three ducks and those ducks were from two completely different sources too. This year I do have some of last year's offspring in there but that's only second generation so not badly inbred (and with fives ducks and four drakes, it would be very unlucky if every combination were inbred). I am conscious I'll need some new blood for next season so was hoping to swap some but I don't think that's the cause. I might contact one of the listed breeders to see whether it is inherent in the breed. If it's just a numbers game - set twenty, hatch five - at least I know what to expect.

Have also sent some out to others on here so if their hatches are much better, I'll know it's just me!

[twizzel]

I just hatched out 5 ducklings from 12 eggs. 3 were infertile, 4 died fairly early on in the first 10 days. They were posted eggs though and I was given them so unsure how old they were.
I didn't keep track of weights but watched the humidity levels like a hawk, I think for the first 24 days it was at about 60% then in the last 3 or 4 days I put it up to 85-90% and they all hatched.

[doganjo]

Humidity is crucial for ducks, and ambient humidity can affect the incubator too.  A good meter is essential.  I've only tried two duck hatchings - 5 ducklings from 12 first time, 3 ducklings from 5 second time.  So a definite improvement when I kept a closer eye on humidity.

[twizzel]

Yes my first hatch I got a big fat 0 out of 12    but 2nd hatch was far more successful

[Sbom]

Just out of curiosity if humidity needs to be higher for ducks then how come  hens can hatch duck eggs?? Surely she has a set humiity?  am curious as I have some under a hen that all candled fertile and just put some in the incubator which I've yet to candle 

[HesterF]

My previous experience of ducks was that the humidity needs to be lower than chickens. The critical thing (apparently) is the weight loss and chicken shells are much thinner so they lose the weight more easily. I'm amazed you got such a good hatch at 60% humidity - I ran one hatch t 45% at year and that was even more disastrous.

[twizzel]

Everything I've read has said humidity needs to be higher than chickens which may be where you're going wrong?

[doganjo]

Humidity for ducks - between 35-and 45% as much as possible the first 25 days.  Then, up humidity to 75%.

For hens 35 to 40% on days 1-18, then 60-70% days 19 to end of hatch

[HesterF]

No, I'd read that too - so had the humidity last year set higher. But then read some more and the most exact measure is how much weight the eggs lose. If the humidity is too high, they don't lose enough liquid, the air sack is not big enough and they don't have enough room to move inside. So for chickens you aim for 13% weight loss over the 3 weeks, for waterfowl 14% over the 4 weeks. So for the same porosity, you would have the waterfowl eggs at higher humidity but I think these eggs in particular are not porous. The Cayugas lose weight more easily - I think that Appleyards are more like goose eggs which have to be run dry until near the end because at 40% humidity, they just don't lose any weight.