How To Incubate Duck Eggs Without An Incubator

Incubating duck eggs can be a fun way to start your own little farm of ducks. In some cases, you will need an incubator to keep the duck eggs warm. But if you don’t have one, there is another way to do it! With just a few simple tools, you’ll be able to keep your eggs safe until they hatch.

Things You’ll Need

You will need:

• Eggs. You can use any kind of eggs to incubate, although it’s better to use duck eggs if you have them—they’re bigger and they take longer to hatch than chicken eggs do.
• A cardboard box or container large enough for the number of eggs you want to incubate at one time—this should be big enough that there’s room for air flow all around each egg, with no chance of it touching another one (for example, if your container is too small, an egg might push against another one and break).
• Water (see below).

Put the eggs in the carton on their sides.

Put the eggs in the carton on their sides.

To keep them from rolling around, place a few pieces of egg crate foam between each layer of eggs.

Pour water so that it comes up to half the height of the eggs.

• Pour water so that it comes up to half the height of the eggs. Use room-temperature water, since cold or warm water can shock a developing embryo.
• Make sure there is enough water to cover half the height of your incubating egg on all sides. This means that if an egg has a very flat bottom, you’ll need more water than usual in order to ensure it gets submerged in at least half its depth.
• Use clean distilled/purified water (not tap) as best you can, because contaminants can be harmful for growing embryos and ducklings later on!

Set the temperature at 100 degrees Fahrenheit by placing the carton in a warm place.

The first step in incubating duck eggs is to set the temperature of the nest box at 100 degrees Fahrenheit. This can be done by placing it somewhere warm, such as on top of your refrigerator or near a window. It is important that you constantly monitor the temperature and make sure that it stays consistent throughout the day and night.

If you have an indoor-outdoor thermometer, set up a schedule to check on it every few hours and record this information in a notebook so that you can see how each day varies from the last.

Turn the eggs twice a day to keep them warm.

When incubating duck eggs, you must turn them two to three times a day. As you turn the egg(s), make sure that they are positioned in the carton so that they will not roll over and crack. Also, be sure to switch out water in your water bath twice a day so that it doesn’t get too warm or too cold for the eggs’ well-being. As an extra precautionary measure, move your incubator out of direct sunlight and place it somewhere between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit before turning on your heat lamps or other heat sources (if applicable).

To help keep track of this routine, write down what time of day each egg was turned and if you need more information about which type of duck egg is appropriate for hatching when trying out this method of artificial breeding—or any other kind—you can find plenty more resources online!

Check the water levels after two days and refill with water, if needed.

• Check the water levels after two days and refill with water, if needed.
• If the eggs are in a carton, you can tip it up to drain the water.
• You may need to adjust your incubation temperature as well: if it’s too hot or cold, add or remove 1 degree of temperature at a time until you get it right.

With a little preparation, you can incubate your duck eggs without fancy equipment.

It’s important to keep the incubator temperature between 99-102 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature is ideal for duck eggs, but if you are incubating chicken eggs or quail eggs it should be adjusted accordingly. The ideal humidity level for a duck egg incubator is about 80%.

As the embryo inside your egg grows, so does the water content of your yolk and albumin (egg white). If too much water evaporates from your egg during this time, it could kill your developing embryo. The best way to prevent this from happening is by adding water every few days—about 2 tablespoons per week—to an inch below the bottoms of each tray in your incubator. You can also use a humidifier if necessary; just make sure that it doesn’t get too hot or else you could cook those precious babies!

It takes 28 days on average for most species of bird to hatch out of their shells; however there are some exceptions like turkeys which take 35 days on average!

Once you have your ducklings and they’re ready to go, it’s time to set them loose in the world. While it can be difficult, it’s important to remember that nature is a part of life and some animals just don’t make it into adulthood. Make sure you have the resources available so that all your ducks will live long healthy lives, whether they hatch or not!