How to Hatch Ducklings

Lisa Steele had already written her first book, Fresh Eggs Daily, about keeping chickens, when she brought home two ducklings from a local feed store. Puddles and Bob soon inspired her next book about small-flock poultry-keeping, Duck Eggs Daily: Raising Happy, Healthy Ducks...Naturally (St. Lynn's Press). The book is a guide to raising ducks for flavorful eggs and companionship.

Steele says ducks add a lot of personality and enjoyment to the hobby farm she shares with her husband, dogs, chickens and other four-legged friends. If you'd like to start your own flock, you can use fertile eggs from your own or a friend's ducks, or order from companies like Metzer Farms. Use a flashlight or commercial candler to "candle" the eggs, or check them for hairline cracks. Seal minor cracks with softened beeswax to protect the embryos, and discard eggs with bigger cracks.

Fertile eggs should be stored, pointy ends down, at a 45 degree angle, around 60 degrees F. until you're ready to put them into the incubator. First, turn the incubator on and let it come up to temperature while the eggs sit at room temperature for several hours. This warms them up a bit and lets the yolks settle. Use a pencil to mark one side of the eggs with an X or a number, so you can keep track of turning the eggs. (Some incubators will turn them automatically.)

Duck eggs need to incubate for 28 days at a temperature of 99.3 to 99.6 degrees F., Steele says. She recommends following the instruction manual for your incubator. You'll need to monitor the humidity closely, and weigh and turn the eggs. For more details, see Duck Eggs Daily, Brinsea and/or Metzer Farms.