DUCKS AND GEESE 



to the nest as quickly as possible and confining them 

 there until the hatch is over. 



During the last week of incubation it is desirable 

 to sprinkle the eggs daily with water using quite a 

 liberal amount as duck eggs seem to require more 

 moisture than hens' eggs in order to hatch well. 



All duck eggs which are at all badly soiled should 

 be washed before they are set. Washing does not 

 seem to injure their hatching qualities. In fact, 

 some breeders prefer to wash all duck eggs whether 

 dirty or not, feeling that this opens up the pores and 

 causes a better hatch. This belief is based upon the 

 idea that when ducks hatch their own eggs under 

 natural conditions they have access to water in 

 which they swim and in coming back on the nest 

 their wet feathers serve to wash the eggs. 



Where an incubator is used for hatching the eggs 

 are placed in the machine just as hens' eggs. For 

 the first week the temperature is kept about 102 de- 

 grees and for the rest of the period is maintained 

 as close to 103 degrees as possible, th^ bulb of the 

 thermometer being on a level with the tops of the 

 eggs. Often the temperature will run up a little 

 higher than this at hatching time but this does not 

 do any harm. An incubator will accommodate fi-om 

 four-fifths to five-sixths as many duck eggs as it will 

 hens' eggs. 



About the fifth or sixth day the duck eggs are 

 tested and all infertile and dead germs removed. 

 From this time on eggs are turned twice a day and 



ISO 



