After how many days of incubation ducklings hatch under the duck and the size of the clutch
A good farmer is concerned not only with the welfare of his animals, but also with the fact that they make a profit from the offspring. It is much more pleasant to grow your own bird than a purchased one. Ducks have high meat rates, but breeding these wayward birds is not easy. In order to get a healthy offspring every season, you need to know after how many days ducklings of different breeds hatch under the duck, and what affects these periods.
When do they start and how many ducks hatch eggs
To breed the first ducklings, the bird must be at least 5-6 months old, but ducks are most productive in the second year of life. Although they live up to 20 years under good conditions, the quality of eggs deteriorates after 6-7 years.
The period of activity in females is in the spring and early summer. Although in some individuals the instinct is so developed that they can sit on the nest in the middle of winter. From mid-April, the bird begins to intensively prepare for motherhood.
On average, one clutch contains from 8 to 15 eggs, but at the peak of activity it reaches 20 eggs. It all depends on the age and type of bird. During this period, the expectant mother should be provided with proper nutrition and access to fresh drinking water and an ash bath to clean the feathers from parasites.
The duck lays one egg per day. The process takes place at night, from 2 am to 4 am. It is important that no one bothers or scares the brood hen at this moment, otherwise she will throw the clutch. In general, throughout the entire incubation, it is better not to disturb the bird, and to carry out any manipulations with the nest only in the absence of the brood.
How many days do ducklings hatch
In the wild, birds incubate eggs for about a month. Domestic individuals hatch chicks after 26-36 days.
- Indoor, musky or mute - from 30 to 35 days.
- Peking duck - 27 to 29 days
- Bashkir duck - about 26-28 days.
Ducklings hatch gradually. This process should be followed closely. When the mother leaves to eat and stretch her legs, the nest needs to be cleaned of debris, the shells and dead chicks (if any) must be removed. It is better to take small ducklings into the house for a few days so that the mother does not accidentally crush them.
The ducklings are placed in a warm box, where the bottom is lined with a soft cloth. The temperature there needs to be maintained within the range of 26-29 degrees.
If necessary, you can put other people's eggs under the duck, but carefully. A bird accepts all ducklings if they come to her gradually.When the entire brood has hatched, then after 2-3 days the mother takes them out for a walk and teaches them to eat, drink and clean the feathers.
What can affect the timing?
Anything can become an obstacle to healthy young growth.
- The duck is still inexperienced, and she could not hatch the clutch correctly, as a result, half of the eggs died. This bird is not used as a brood hen until next year.
- Egg temperature is the main indicator of healthy offspring. If the clutch spends more than an hour and a half without a mother, then the embryos, at best, will form later, and at worst, they will stop developing altogether. The weather plays an important role here. If the season is hot, then this "plays into the hands" of the eggs, they will cool more slowly.
- The duck, for unknown reasons, simply abandoned the clutch. In this case, the eggs are transferred to the incubator, if not much time has passed since the mother hen left, then the chicks should hatch at the same time.
- Excessive manipulations with eggs can also lengthen the incubation period. It is advisable not to touch the clutch unnecessarily and not to let other birds approach it.
- Duck breed, age and experience play an indirect role in the timing of hatching of chicks. Nevertheless, this fact also needs to be taken into account.
