About Caring for Duck Eggs

When a female duck lays eggs, she generally keeps the eggs warm and humid by sitting on them until they hatch. If something happens to endanger the mother or the eggs, then another duck or humans can care for them.

  1. The Facts

    • Duck eggs that have been abandoned will die. If an egg has been abandoned, it must be moved to an incubator within hours.

    Requirements

    • Duck eggs require temperatures of 98 to 99 degrees, 85% to 95% humidity and up to seven turns a day for successful hatching.

    Incubators

    • Incubators are important tools in caring for duck eggs. These "hatching boxes" can be programmed in regard to temperature, humidity and turning requirements.

    Candling

    • People who raise duck eggs in an incubator can hold a flashlight to one end of the egg to see the baby bird inside. This is a good way to observe the development of baby ducks before they hatch.

    Considerations

    • Even with the most careful supervision, some duck eggs will not hatch. Reasons for this include infertile eggs, and overlong exposure to cold.