How long does a duck sit on eggs: the number of days before hatching and what affects the term

People appreciate these poultry, first of all, for tasty and nutritious meat, as well as fluff and feathers. But for their successful breeding, the owners must know how long each duck sits on the laid eggs. This is most directly influenced by the breed or variety of the bird, as well as external factors. This must be taken into account when growing birds, both for personal consumption and for subsequent sale on the market.

How many days does a duck sit on eggs?

It is known that each species of these birds incubates eggs for a certain time. But the indicator can change - it is affected by ambient temperature, humidity, daylight hours, diet and other factors.

Basically, the timing of incubation of eggs by different types of ducks is as follows:

1. Muscovy (mute duck). This is a common poultry, which is also called the indo-duck. These birds are a convenient and slightly problematic option for growing, both in a personal backyard and in poultry farms. The main advantages include: quiet, calm, not capricious character, picky about different types of feed and high disease resistance. This is similar to Indian runners - an interesting variety of ducks. Mute ducklings are born after 29-35 days. During this period, it is extremely important not to disturb the hen so that she does not leave her nest, as well as immediately provide the necessary care and proper nutrition. One Muscovy duck is able to incubate 12-20 eggs, which are larger than chicken ones.
2. Wild duck (gogol, shelduck and others). These birds begin to incubate the clutch from the time when the very last egg was laid. The duration of the appearance of offspring is influenced by many factors, including the variety of the bird itself, the period itself is 28-40 days.Interestingly, the chicks begin to squeak when they are still inside the shell. This usually happens a few days before birth, and the offspring itself hatches almost simultaneously.
3. Mallard. The reproductive age of such birds occurs approximately one year after birth. Already after 26-28 days, her numerous offspring are born, of course, if the conditions for keeping the birds are favorable. The chicks destroy the shell together, and the further development of the offspring occurs quickly - after a month, their weight reaches one kilogram. Interestingly, the mallard duck covers the nest with eggs with its own fluff.
4. Bashkir. This species does not incubate the clutch itself. To obtain the desired offspring, the owner needs to collect the eggs and place them in an incubator, and after 28 days, ducklings will begin to hatch. If there are birds of other breeds on the farm (in particular, Agidel, as well as Cherry Valley), they can be used to incubate eggs of Bashkir ducks.A decoy is often as effective as an incubator, the main thing is to create the right conditions for it.
5. Beijing. The volume of its masonry directly depends on the size of the bird itself. Typically, Peking duck is able to incubate twenty eggs at a time. But the birds of this breed have a poorly developed maternal instinct. Often, other hens are used to produce offspring, it can even be chickens. Experienced owners teach Beijingers to sit in the nest, sometimes using dummies of eggs. The offspring of this breed is usually born after 27-29 days.

How many eggs can sit on?

Beginning poultry farmers believe that the mother hen hatches only a few eggs at a time. But this is an erroneous opinion, in fact, the figure is much higher. Usually the number of eggs on which a bird sits directly depends on its size.

But if some of the eggs stick out to the sides or even fall out of the nest, then, of course, the embryos from them will never hatch.

For each duckling to be born, the shell must be under the mother's body and constantly receive the heat necessary for development. It is important to remember that you should not put more eggs under the hen than she can hatch! Therefore, attentive owners must know the following indicators:

• mute female is able to produce 12-20 chicks at a time;
• wild ducks hatch 8-10 chicks at a time;
• mallard is able to incubate 7-12 eggs;
• Bashkir breed produces 10-17 ducklings at a time;
• Beijing - up to 20 eggs.

Some species of ducks (for example, wild ones) cover the nest with fluff, which soars the clutch, preventing the eggs from cooling down when the brood hen is absent.

What can affect the deadline?

Ducks of different breeds and species incubate offspring for different times, but, on average, it takes about one month. Often the incubation of the clutch occurs after the last egg has been laid. It must be remembered that each breed of ducks has its own characteristics, therefore, the timing of the birth of offspring varies:

• wild ducks sit on eggs for 28-40 days;
• mallard - only 26-28 days;
• Bashkir ducks have offspring after 28 days;
• musk chicks hatch in 30-35 days;
• Beijing offspring hatch after 27-29 days.

The time of birth of ducklings is affected by diet, temperature and other factors that must be taken into account by the owners. In the case when the bird sits on the masonry in winter, they provide additional heating, and also increase daylight hours using artificial lighting.Usually, before starting to rush, the duck begins to line the nest with fluff.

This should be a signal that the bird requires increased attention and proper nutrition. It should be dry in the shed where the hens are, the birds should not be frightened or disturbed - they must spend most of the time sitting on the eggs.

The more favorable the conditions for hatching the chicks, the faster they will be born.

What could be the problem?

When ducks hatch their offspring, problems often arise that the owners must quickly solve. It happens that the bird refuses to sit in the nest and simply leaves the clutch. In this situation, eggs are placed in an incubator or other types of ducks or even chickens are used as hens.

Sometimes ducklings suffocate without pecking the shell. It helps to solve the problem by installing water containers in the barn - after swimming, the bird sits wet in the nest, this helps to erase the protective film. It is important to provide birds with a balanced diet during this period by adding special vitamins to food.

Recommended