A large, quiet duck notable for its long 35-day incubation compared to other ducks.
The Muscovy Duck is a waterfowl, and its eggs hatch in about 35 days, with a normal window of days 33-37. Incubation difficulty is rated Intermediate. Below you'll find the temperature, humidity, turning, candling and hatching steps for this species.
In a forced-air (fan) incubator, hold the temperature steady at 37.4-37.6 °C and target 55-60% relative humidity in the first stage. Verify the readout with a reliable digital thermometer and hygrometer.
As waterfowl, this species needs higher humidity. In the final week, cooling the eggs for a few minutes once a day and lightly misting them with warm water keeps the shell membrane from hardening and helps hatching.
Turn the eggs an odd number of times per day, 5 times, so the embryo doesn't stick to the shell. Recommended candling days: 10, 18, 31. In a dark room, hold the egg to a strong light; a vein network and movement show fertility, and clear eggs should be removed.
On day 31, stop turning (lockdown), raise humidity to 70-80% and keep the incubator closed as much as possible. Hatching is expected on days 33-37; once chicks start pipping the shell, be patient, as hatching can take hours.
Leave the chicks in the incubator until their down dries and they perk up, then move them to a brooder kept at 35 °C for the first week, lowering the heat by about 3 °C each week. Provide clean water and quality starter feed at all times.
Waterfowl chicks are prone to niacin (vitamin B3) deficiency on standard starter feed; use niacin-supplemented feed and a shallow, tip-proof waterer to prevent drowning.
Muscovy Duck eggs hatch in about 35 days; most hatch between days 33 and 37.
In a forced-air incubator, 37.4–37.6 °C with 55–60% humidity; in the last few days (lockdown) raise the humidity to 70–80%.
Candle on days 10, 18, 31 and remove clear or non-developing eggs at these checks.
Stop turning on day 31, then raise the humidity and keep the incubator closed until the chicks hatch.
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