How to Incubate Pekin Duck Eggs

The Pekin is a type of duck breed. Originally from China, it is one of the most widely raised duck breeds in North America for both meat and eggs. The duck has white plumage and an orange-yellow bill and reaches a weight of up to 11 lbs. Backyard poultry enthusiasts can start their own Pekin duck flock by hatching Pekin duck eggs using a commercial incubator in lieu of using a broody chicken hen or duck.

Things You'll Need

  • Fertile Pekin duck eggs
  • Incubator
  • Duck brooder
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Instructions

    • 1

      Obtain fertile Pekin duck eggs. Duck eggs can be purchased from farmers or hobbyists in your area, feed stores or from mail-order poultry hatcheries. Store the eggs at 58 degrees F in a refrigerator or cooler until you are ready to incubate them. The eggs can be stored for up to 10 days.

    • 2

      Plug the incubator into a power source. Fill the incubator's built-in water hopper with water.

    • 3

      Set the internal temperature for the incubator at 99.5 degrees F and its relative humidity to 55 percent. The incubator is ready for use when its internal thermometer and humidity meter display the appropriate temperature and humidity.

    • 4

      Open the incubator and place the fertile Pekin duck eggs into the incubator's egg slots. Close the incubator.

    • 5

      Turn the eggs every 8 hours during the first 25 days of incubation. Turn gradually so that the opposite side of the egg is oriented upwards with each turn. This keeps the developing Pekin duck embryo from sticking to the egg shell. Stop turning during the last 3 days of incubation.

    • 6

      Watch the ducklings hatch. The Pekin duck eggs will begin hatching 28 days after incubation has started. Remove the ducklings after they have hatched and dried and place in a duck brooder.