s. 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 from 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 usually cooled once a day until they pip. A second test may be made
about the fifteenth or sixteenth day when any eggs which have died are
removed. If dead germ eggs are left in the machines they spoil very
quickly and cause a strong odor which makes it necessary to remove them.
During the last week or ten days and in some cases for a longer period
than this incubator operators supply moisture daily to the machine. This
is usually provided by sprinkling the eggs liberally with water which
has been warmed to about the temperature of the machine. However, if
warm water is not available, water of ordinary temperature may be used
although it is not well to use extremely cold water. As a rule the eggs
begin to pip about the twenty-sixth day. At this time the machine should
be tightly closed up and left so until the hatching is over. In case
moisture seems to be lacking and the ducklings are having a hard time to
get out of the shell the machine can be opened and the eggs sprinkled
again. If there seems to be sufficient moisture, however, the machines
should not be opened or disturbed. As a rule it takes ducklings from 24
to 48 hours to hatch after the pipping first begins. It is advisable to
leave the ducklings in the incubator until they are well dried off
before removing them to the brooder. As a rule the hatching will be
entirely over by the twenty-eighth day.
_Brooding and Rearing._ Ducklings can be brooded if desired by means of
chicken hens. In this case the ducklings which the hen hatches should
be given to her and she should be confined to some kind of a coop which
will allow the ducklings to run at liberty. If the hen is given her
liberty she goes too far and takes too much exercise for the little
ducks. Where artificial brooders are used any type of brooding apparatus
can be utilized which is used with success for chickens. It must be
remembered, however, that ducklings do not require as high a degree of
heat as do baby chicks and should be started off at a temperature of
about 90 degrees under the hover. This can be reduced rather rapidly
until it is down to 80 at about 2 weeks of age. The lengt