Ovatekly · Ducks and geese
Duck and goose eggs: more days, more water.
Settings for duck, Muscovy and goose eggs, misting, why waterfowl should not share an incubator with chicken eggs, and how many duck and goose eggs each Ovatekly takes.
Short answer
Most duck breeds hatch in 28 days at 99.5 °F (37.5 °C) and 58 to 62 % relative humidity, with lockdown on day 25 at 98.5 °F and 66 to 75 % (Texas A&M AgriLife). Muscovy ducks take 35 to 37 days. Domestic geese take about 30 days at 62 %. Kansas State sprinkles duck and goose eggs with lukewarm water twice a week up to day 25.
Capacity
How many duck and goose eggs fit
| Model | Duck eggs | Goose eggs | Chicken eggs | Price | Per duck egg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ovatekly Compact | 6 | 4 | 9 | US$129 | about US$21.50 |
| Ovatekly Home | 32 | 24 | 48 | US$329.99 | about US$10.31 |
| Ovatekly Pro | 65 | 49 | 98 | US$399 | about US$6.14 |
| Ovatekly Farm | 200 | 150 | 300 | US$699 | about US$3.50 |
Manufacturer ratings per batch. How many of your own eggs fit depends on their size.
The rollers adjust to egg size and turn every egg every two hours. Water comes from external bottles that feed the reservoir from outside, which matters more with waterfowl, because they need more humidity and you top it up without opening the lid.
The numbers
Duck and goose egg incubator settings
| Duck (most breeds) | Muscovy duck | Domestic goose | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Days to hatch | 28 | 35–37 | 30 (Texas A&M); 28–34 (Mississippi State) |
| Temperature, set stage | 99.5 °F / 37.5 °C (Texas A&M); 100 °F forced air (Mississippi State) | 99.5 °F; 100 °F forced air | 99.5 °F (Texas A&M); 99 °F forced air (Mississippi State) |
| Humidity, set stage | 58–62 %; wet bulb 85–86 °F | 58–62 %; wet bulb 85–86 °F | 62 %; wet bulb 86–88 °F |
| Stop turning (lockdown) | Day 25 | Day 31–33 (Texas A&M); after day 31 (Mississippi State) | Day 27 (Texas A&M); after day 25 (Mississippi State) |
| Temperature, last days | 98.5 °F / 36.9 °C | 98.5 °F | 98.5 °F |
| Humidity, last days | 66–75 %; wet bulb 90 °F | 66–75 %; wet bulb 90 °F | 66–75 %; wet bulb 90 °F |
Sources: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Incubating and Hatching Eggs (POSC-PU-018, 2022), Table 1; Mississippi State University Extension, Important Incubation Factors (wet bulb, forced air). Kansas State gives 99¼ to 99½ °F for duck eggs and 99 to 99½ °F for goose eggs in large forced-draft incubators, with a wet bulb of 86 to 88 °F during incubation and 92 °F at hatching (Kansas State University, Incubation and Reproduction (poultry Q&A)).
Every Ovatekly leaves the factory set to 100 °F (37.8 °C) and is adjustable on the panel. Other species are in the temperature and humidity chart.
Waterfowl habits
Misting and turning
Kansas State raises humidity for duck and goose eggs by sprinkling them with lukewarm water twice a week up to day 25, then stopping until they start to pip. More is not better: too much water increases the number of eggs that rot in the incubator.
Kansas State turns waterfowl eggs at least three times a day, and goose eggs through an angle of 180 degrees. Roller turners like the Ovatekly’s roll each egg on its side rather than tilting a tray, every two hours.
Duck and goose eggs are often dirty. Do not wash them: washing removes the protective layer and lets bacteria in, and dirty eggs can burst in the incubator (Texas A&M). Set the clean ones.
Sources: Kansas State University, Incubation and Reproduction (poultry Q&A); Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Incubating and Hatching Eggs (POSC-PU-018, 2022).
One species per batch
Why ducks and chickens should not share a batch
Chicken eggs hatch a week before duck eggs, so the chickens would need lockdown while the ducks still need turning. Texas A&M advises against incubating species with different incubation periods together, and Kansas State says the high humidity waterfowl eggs need rules out good results when they are set in a large incubator with chicken eggs. Hatch them in separate batches.
Sources: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Incubating and Hatching Eggs (POSC-PU-018, 2022); Kansas State University, Incubation and Reproduction (poultry Q&A).
Choosing
Which size for ducks and geese
Waterfowl eggs are big, so capacity drops: the 9-egg Compact takes 6 duck or 4 goose eggs, the Home 32 or 24, the Pro 65 or 49, and the Farm 200 or 150 (manufacturer ratings).
Because humidity matters more with waterfowl, a size that shows humidity on its display helps: the Home, Pro and Farm do; the Compact shows temperature only, so add a hygrometer if you use it for ducks.
Every Ovatekly comes with Hatch Support for the whole incubation, whatever the species: email a photo of the display to contact@ovatekly.com and a person answers. Free tracked shipping across the US, a 1-year limited warranty and 30-day returns.
Questions
Questions people ask
How long do duck eggs take to hatch in an incubator?
What humidity do duck eggs need?
Should I mist or spray duck eggs?
How long do goose eggs take to hatch?
Can I hatch duck and chicken eggs together?
How many duck eggs fit in a 48-egg incubator?
Sources
Where the numbers come from
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Incubating and Hatching Eggs (POSC-PU-018, 2022), Table 1.
- Mississippi State University Extension, Important Incubation Factors.
- Kansas State University, Incubation and Reproduction (poultry Q&A).
Updated . Written by the Ovatekly team. Temperatures, humidity levels and incubation periods on this page are general references from the extension publications named beside them, not Ovatekly specifications.
More from the hatch guides
A person for the whole hatch.
Every Ovatekly comes with Hatch Support: email a photo of your display or a candled egg to contact@ovatekly.com and a real person answers, from the day you set your eggs until they hatch.