How Long Does a Duck Egg Take to Hatch?

Duck eggs take longer to hatch than chicken eggs, and Muscovy ducks take longer still — genuinely different figures, not a rounding difference. This guide draws on Cornell's Duck Research Laboratory, and is general information rather than a substitute for direct incubator instructions.

28 days for most breeds, 35 for Muscovy

Common duck breeds like Pekin take about 28 days to hatch. Muscovy ducks — a genuinely different species from other domestic ducks — take about 35 days. Our hatch-date calculator lets you pick between the two rather than defaulting to one figure for all ducks.

Much of chicken hatching knowledge transfers, with adjustments

Cornell's Duck Research Laboratory is direct that most chicken egg incubation and hatching knowledge applies to ducks too, as long as the real differences between the species are accounted for — duck eggs are larger than chicken eggs, so setting trays need to be sized accordingly, and the humidity and timing figures below differ from the chicken numbers.

Humidity: a three-stage schedule

Cornell recommends starting incubation humidity around 65% (88°F on a wet-bulb thermometer). As eggs begin to pip, humidity should rise to about 80% (93°F wet bulb), alongside increasing ventilation openings by roughly 50% — vents should be fully open by the end of the hatch. By the time hatching is complete, humidity is gradually lowered again to around 70% (90°F wet bulb).

Lockdown: around day 25 for Pekin eggs

At 25 days of incubation, Pekin eggs are transferred to hatching trays — moved to a separate hatcher machine where one's available — roughly 3 days before the expected hatch, the same general principle as chicken egg lockdown even though the exact day is later.

Removing ducklings from the incubator

Cornell's guidance is to remove ducklings from the hatcher once 90–95% of them are dry — a proportion-based rule rather than a fixed hour count, though the underlying logic matches chicken hatching: wait for ducklings to be dry before moving them, rather than working to a clock.

After hatching

See our feed guide for daily feed needs once ducklings are growing, and our health guide for what to watch for — including the water-safety point that matters specifically for young waterfowl.

Source: Cornell University, Duck Research Laboratory, “Hatching Duck Eggs”: vet.cornell.edu. The same source already cited for this site's duck incubation length. Sources checked: September 2026.

Common questions

How long does a duck egg take to hatch?

About 28 days for Pekin and most common breeds, but 35 days for Muscovy ducks specifically — a genuinely different figure, not a rounding difference, since Muscovy are a different species (Cairina moschata) from other domestic ducks.

What humidity does a duck egg need to hatch?

Cornell's Duck Research Laboratory recommends starting around 65% (88°F wet bulb), raising it to about 80% (93°F wet bulb) as eggs begin to pip, then lowering it to about 70% (90°F wet bulb) by the end of the hatch.

When do duck eggs go into lockdown?

Around day 25 for Pekin eggs, when they're transferred to hatching trays or a separate hatcher if one is available — roughly 3 days before the expected hatch date, similar in principle to chicken egg lockdown.

When should you remove ducklings from the incubator?

When 90-95% of them are dry, per Cornell's guidance — broadly similar to the chicken egg principle of waiting for chicks to be dry and fluffy before moving them, rather than a fixed hour count.