Duck eggs from Mallard-derived duck breeds generally take 28 days to hatch, and Muscovy eggs usually take 35 days. But how long does a duckling take to hatch out of their shell, once they start hatching?
Originally published March 2019. Updated Sept. 2021.
This post contains affiliate links. Click here to learn more.
If you've ever hatched chicken eggs, you know that the hatching process can take a little time. But if you've never a hatched a duck egg, it might surprise you just how long it can take a duckling to emerge from the shell, once hatching begins!
Here are the usual stages of hatching for a duck egg:
Internal pip
Usually somewhere between 1 to 2 days before the duck eggs are due to hatch, a duckling begins the hatching process by breaking her little bill through the inner membrane of the egg, into the air sac.
She's not ready to hatch yet, but she's beginning to breath using her lungs, rather than relying solely on the chorion and allantois (the chorioallantoic membrane) to provide her with oxygen. (This is a good read, if you'd like to learn more about the amazing structure that allows a developing chick or duckling to breathe while in the shell.)
If you candle the eggs at this stage, you can usually see a duckling's dark bill protruding up into the air sac. You can also suddenly hear her peeping quite clearly, and may even hear her bill tapping against the inside of the egg.
External pip
The next stage of hatching is when the duckling finally makes the first crack in the egg shell. This is called "pipping" or the "external pip", and generally happens about 12-24 hours after the internal pip.
Once this happens, it's normal to get excited - your duck eggs are hatching! But it's important to know that once the duckling finally pips, and you see that star-shaped crack in the egg, you should expect to see no progress for quite some time.
It's entirely usual, normal, and just fine for a duckling to pip the shell, then make no further visible progress for even a full day. 12-24 hours of doing nothing more than peeping, and perhaps rocking a bit, is very normal at this stage, and isn't cause for worry.
The duckling isn't ready to hatch yet. She's still absorbing the yellow yolk sac that's protruding from her abdomen, and it's important that this be fully absorbed before she hatches.
There's also a robust network of blood vessels that she's still connected to, which are laced throughout the inner membrane surrounding her. These need to dry up so that she can safely hatch without losing blood.
While it may be nerve wracking to feel that a pipped egg has "stalled out" and isn't making progress, there is an elaborate dance of necessary physiological developments that are taking place in side the egg. SO much is happening, it's just hard because we can't see it.
Zipping
Once the duckling has finished absorbing the yolk, and the network of blood vessels surrounding her has mostly dried up, she's ready to finish hatching. She uses her bill to start breaking a crack around the egg - usually around the circumference of the wide end of the egg. This part of the process is called "zipping" - and it's so appropriate, because the jagged crack does looks much like a zipper.
Often her peeping will get pretty loud during this part of process, and she might sound a bit desperate. That's ok. Loud peeping is generally a very good sign. She's getting close.
This part of the hatching process goes quickly, compared to the many hours spent after that first pip. Zipping can take up to 12 hours or so, but I find that it commonly takes less than 3 hours, and sometimes even less than an hour!
Hatching out of the shell
With a good crack finally traced around the shell, the duckling exerts itself to push, twist, and squirm its way out of the shell. Generally the head has been tucked under one wing (usually the right one, it seems to me), and as her little neck finally pulls free, the duckling often flops in exhaustion while staring around at the world outside her egg. This is a pretty damp, floppy, adorably pathetic time - but she'll very quickly dry and get control of those big feet.
Want to watch the duckling from these photos hatch? Here's a video! This little guy hatched just 13 hours after first pipping his shell.
In another post, I'll chat in far more detail about when you might need to intervene to help a duckling hatch. The answer is truthfully, that you usually should not help. It's very easy to do more harm than good by helping, especially because people almost always "help" much too soon, before the duckling is actually ready to hatch.
It's my hope that if you're hatching duck eggs and getting nervous about how long the process is taking, this post might set your mind at ease. Hatching is a lengthy process for ducklings, and it's meant to be that way.
How long do ducklings take to hatch?
Just to recap - it's very usual for ducklings to take 36 hours, or even a bit more, to fully emerge from the shell after you see that first pip.
Have more questions about the hatching process? Drop them in the comments below and I hope I can help!
Happy hatching!
Read Next: Duckling Hatching Video: Meet Zoe & Wash
If you liked this post, you may enjoy:
✦ Hatching Quail Eggs
✦ How to Hatch Duck Eggs
✦ Hatching Chicks with a Broody Hen
✦ Starting a Small Scale Hatchery
✦ 52 Ways to Make Money on a Small Homestead
Lindsay says
Hi Anna,
I am hatching duck eggs for the first time. Blue Swedish and/or Buff Orpington. Yesterday morning they had each pipped. 24 hours later, they each have a second pip next to the first, but no other cracking/movement. Is it normal for them to hatch so slowly? They're in a Brinsea mini advance with both water wells full. Temp 98.4F. Today is day 28.
Thank you!
Deedee Deromedi says
I'm a bit confused. Can I open the incubator during hatching. Also, I was so worried about the babes I bought a small incubator. So the eggs are vertical, not horizontal. It just feels so wrong. Is it okay? I was worried about them, because they internally pipped on Sunday and on Tuesday still nothing. So I got this 7 egg incubator to know that heat, humidity, and air flow are right. I did a safety hole because of the length of time it had been after internal pip. So I saw an external pip at 2 this morning and it looks like nothing since and it's 7 am now. I know it can take a while so I'm not super worried yet, but a bit concerned about the lack of space in the incubator and the vertical positioning. I had a makeshift incubator before, but worried that the temperature would fluctuate so much and then so much time after internal pip. I had a heating pad in the incubator with towels and a water bowl to add humidity. I need guidance. Also I have read to not open the incubator for any reason after external pip. Also the incubator is plastic with some holes for eggs. It just doesn't seem like it is good for ducklings. The store manager told me it was fine and to move them to the brooder after hatching. Is that okay? Thanks in advance for your time. Deedee
Robin says
Hopefully you can help! My Muscovy mama started hatching her eggs yesterday morning. Three were hatched by last night. And one more by this morning (or overnight).
None of the other eggs are pipped that I can see (mama does not want me near the eggs and babies!).
How long should I give the other eggs before I take them and consider them not viable? I thought, like chicken eggs, they would all hatch around the same time or within a few hours of each other. Thanks for your help!
Bai says
Hi I’ve hatched a few quails and after I saw the first crack they hatched within 45 mins so quite quick but first time doing ducks it’s day 29 now and they’ve been in lockdown since the 25th day it’s got a little crack since yesterday but hardly no signs now
Anna says
Hey Bai, if you're on day 29, it's likely that everything is ok, and that they just need a little more time. However, if you'd like to email me for a little more help, I'm always glad to talk people through their first duck hatch. You can send me a line to: [email protected]
If you can, let me know:
Current humidity in the incubator
Current temperature
What time you noticed the first pip
And please even feel free to include a photo or video. The more details, the more I can help. Cheering you on! ~ Anna
Lily says
Hey!
I have two ducklings that had pipped yesterday but have made no progress today. Their in the air sac but I’m not sure if I need to do something or not? And on the outside of one of the eggs It’s kind of a dark color. It’s been 24 hours since they first pipped.
Stacie Matyi says
Hello. Totally new to this. Yesterday morning one of our little guys started to chirp and was trying to break through the shell. It stopped and it’s going on almost 48 hours of nothing. Is this normal or did something go wrong? I also have another two eggs that are also in the incubator that when candling last week were very active now at about day 24 the eggs have no movement and looks like a yellow film is forming on the inside. Thank you in advance for your help.
Avalon says
Hi there! I'm a first time duck owner and hatcher, I have a Cayuga drake, two Cayuga hens and a Runner hen. They're all beautiful and friendly, and two of their eggs now have an external pip! I've been talking to the babies for about four hours now, trying to encourage them out of the eggs. Thanks for all the info and keep doing what you love! Xx
Emily Johnson says
Hi Anna,
I am on day 27 on incubation, we have 5 abandoned eggs that we took on. One hatched this afternoon but I am not seeing any signs on the other eggs pepping or any kind of cracks. How can I encourage the others to hatch from the outside and how long so do I wait to see if they will hatch before I can be sure they won’t?
Tami says
Hi There!
I have a broody chicken hen hatching some duck eggs. The are piping this morning. I have closed off their hen house from the other chickens so they won't bother the ducklings, do you think that is necessary? They still have access to their roosts, run and food/water. Mama and babies (after they hatch) do have fresh water and food available in the hen house. Im not sure how long to leave the ducklings with the chicken hen. The hen house is about 4' off the ground and Im not sure the ducklings can maneuver the ladder to get in/out of there. I could lay some fresh hay and straw under the hen house (within the run) for them to nest safely in...Do you have any recommendations? I do have two Pekin hens that laid the eggs and one Drake Indian Runner in another coop area.
Thank you for any advice!
Tami
Tonya says
At what point do you start having to help the duck out of the shell? My duck seems to have been working since last night with a good hole in it and the beak has popped through and it just doesn’t seem to be coming along anymore. It’s still making noise but not sure how long it should actually take once it’s popped there beak through the hole,
Sandy says
Nevermind! After nothing all day long, he started pipping, zipped and hatched in under a couple of hours this evening! It was incredible! Thank you again for all of your info!
Amy says
Hello. I'm a first time hatcher. I have one duck egg that was zipping along nicely today. About half way through, the chirping and the pushing suddenly stopped. I don't know if it's just resting, or if there is something wrong.
It external pipped on the 10th around 2:00. The next evening around 5:00 I finally saw movement. This morning when I woke up around 7:00 there was a little more progress. By 11:00 it was halfway zipped and trying to push the egg open. Very loud chirping and lots of energy. Then it stopped.
The egg is very small and pipped early. I'm wondering if maybe it just isn't developed enough. It's chirping seemed loud and strong though. I'm really hoping it's just resting!
Sandy says
Hi! Thank you so much for all of your information, it has been a huge help to us ! We are first time duck hatchers. Our family had some Mallard ducks visiting our pool, and an egg was laid on the pool deck and left. We think the mama duck may have a nest behind our yard, but could not find it to attempt to put the egg there. My youngest daughter’s teacher loaned us her incubator and we committed to and exciting (and nerve wracking) Covid-19 homeschool project. We did extensive research, and everything has gone perfectly on track. But now I’m worried, and am just hoping for some reassurance. We were preparing for lockdown yesterday (day 26) and as we took it out we saw one tiny little pip. We put him back in the incubator as quickly as possible and raised the humidity. Our incubator gage says humidity is around 68% and inside gags is reading Around 78%, so praying it’s somewhere in the middle. There was lots of wobbling throughout the day yesterday, and then we finally noticed a second, larger pip, yesterday evening. Now today, day 27, no further progress has been made. I’m not seeing any wobbling, and no peeps (But we have never heard peeps). Does all of this sound pretty normal and expected? I just want to make sure that I’m struggling with patience, and that there is no need to worry. I will try to attach some photos and videos if I can of done if our journey. Thank you!
sasha says
Hi there! I’m a first time duck hatcher and am getting worried about my ducks. i took them out of the egg turner yesterday (day 26) and as i took them out i saw 2 pips. i panicked and tried to take the turner out as soon as possible before they got too cold and i put them back in the incubator and raised the humidity to 65-70%. fast forward to today, around 36 hours later, no progress has been made. i can hear a few peeps but i am wondering if the drop in humidity caused them to shrink wrap or die. what do i do?? if tomorrow they still aren’t making progress should i try to help or give them a few more days?
Anna says
Hi Sasha! Even though you saw pips yesterday, if you're on day 27 today, I expect those babies truly need a little more time to finish absorbing their yolk sacs, letting the blood vessels in the membrane dry up, and really being ready to hatch. It sounds like you're doing everything right. If the pips were just small, and you got the humidity right back up, I truly do not think you're likely to be dealing with a shrink-wrap situation.
I would give them the day tomorrow, and if you're still not seeing progress, please feel free to snap a picture or video and I'm ALWAYS happy to help walk a newbie through their first hatch. You can email me ([email protected]) and send as many pictures or ask as many questions as you need to. That first hatch can be very nerve-wracking, I know. Personally, I would be very hesitant to intervene at this stage, since it's still so early. But please do feel free to keep reaching out with their progress, and I'm happy to help as a sounding board as the hatch progresses. I'm wishing you (and your babies!!) the very best. Cheering you on from over here! ~ Anna
Tracy says
I am so glad I found your website (and love the name, btw)! I am incubating Ancona duck eggs for the first time and two have pipped this afternoon while the eggs were still in the turner! I was planning to take them out this evening, but clearly I was off a day or two! I had to open the incubator to take the eggs out of the turner and now I’m scared to death that I have “shrink wrapped them”. What do you think? Your article calmed me when I realized they don’t hatch as fast as quail (I raise them as well) but I would welcome any feedback if you happen upon my reply. Eggs right now are currently on Day 26 (according to my calculations), humidity set at about 70%, temp 99. Temp up until this point was 99.5 and humidity in the 50s - 60s. I look forward to checking out your site. Newbie homesteader here and so glad to find the know-how and how-to’s!
Anna says
Hi Tracy!! I'm SO SORRY I'm just getting your comment now, after getting hit with a spring snowstorm and being without power over the weekend. I'm hoping your new babies had a strong hatch - it sounds like you did everything right when you realized they were pipping. I'm so very sorry I didn't get your comment right away, but if there's ever a way I can help or you have questions I might be able to answer, please don't hesitate to shoot another line! Welcome to homesteading life - I'm cheering you on, and wishing you ALL THE BEST!!! ~ A
Isaac Strickland says
Hi, I have a Penkin hen sitting of 7 eggs. I just found one that had hatched sometime today but did not make it. This is her first time trying to hatch herself. I have had some eggs go bad and tonight I noticed that one was fully developed but I think it got squished by the other eggs in the nest. I noticed mom messing with the eggs a lot this afternoon. My question is could the mom crack the egg before the little one is ready to come out by moving around a lot? I noticed that the stuff attached to the baby on the abdomen was not absorbed fully. What should or can I do to help this not happen with the last few that I have left? After they pip can I take them out and just put them under a lamp? Or do they have to go in an incubator or should I just let her deal with them? I’m a little nervous that she doesn’t know. She has eaten bad eggs before that have cracked in the best and I’m afraid that she thinks that’s what’s happening. Any help would be greatly appreciated since this is my first time trying to hatch these little guys and I really want some to make it.
Anna says
Hi Isaac! That's a tricky situation, it's so hard to know with a first time mom. Growing up I had a broody chicken that would "spook" when her chicks were hatching, and end up hurting them. I've heard that the same certainly can happen with duck hens, especially their first time sitting on eggs. Since you do have cause for concern, with finding one baby that didn't make it, the safest thing might be to move any viable remaining eggs to an incubator if you have one, while leaving her some dummy eggs to sit on. Once they safely hatch, it may be very possible to carefully introduce the ducklings back to their mom during a time when you're able to be checking in, making sure things are going smoothly. Crystal and Karl over at Well Fed Homestead have a really helpful post about how they've done that with a broody hen: https://wholefedhomestead.com/introducing-ducklings-to-a-broody-duck/
I really hope some of this helps, and if I can possibly help in any other way, please don't hesitate to leave another comment! I'll be checking in, and will also troubleshoot why your emails didn't go through - thanks so much for letting me know! Cheering you on from over here! ~ Anna
Elyssa says
Hello! I have a muscovy who's been sitting on eggs for a while, and two days ago hatched 3 of 5 eggs. Unfortunately, one of the little ones didn't make it. My question is about the remaining eggs. I haven't noticed any signs of them hatching, and want to know if they are still viable.
Anna says
Hi Elyssa! The best way to check would be to candle the eggs, if at all possible. Is mama still on the nest, or has she started moving about with the two little ones?
Juliet says
I just had a duckling hatch this morning in an incubator. It’s been at least 10 hours but maybe more since were not sure exactly when he hatched. He looks pretty scrawny and doesn’t seem to be drying. Should I take him out of the incubator?
Anna says
Hi Juliet! If it were me, i would leave him in the incubator until he's fluffed out and dried. If all the eggs have now hatched, you can lower the humidity in there, which should help him dry more quickly. Hope this helps!
Ava Kinzel says
How long can the ducklings that hatch be in the incubator while I'm waiting for the others to hatch?
Anna says
Hi Ava! It's totally fine to leave them in there even for as much as 24 hours. That said, if you have a bunch that are have been hatched and dry for some time, it's ok to open the incubator briefly and take them out so they can get settled in the brooder while any stragglers finish hatching. Hope this helps a bit!! Best of luck with your hatch!