Duck Laying

[jungle]

I've had enough talk of donkeys and elephants so would like to get back to poultry. I'm curious when your domestic waterfowl typically begin to lay in various parts of the country. Up here in the Northeast we still have a few feet of snow on the ground but I am anxious for mine to get started.

[Evy]

I used to get the 1st eggs in mid-Feb. Nothing yet this year. Fertility wasn't good until early April. There hasn't been much sunlight.

[Patrick]

I honestly don't pay that close attention anymore. They come when they come. Sometimes I'm ready, sometimes not. I know a guy from VT who swears to me that his geese start laying on exactly the same day every Feb. Some of it depends on the individual bird too. My best white African always starts laying every year well before the snow is melted. It's very hard for me to get unfrozen eggs from her.

[azduckranch]

Here in So. Arizona in my first year I was given an adult Pekin drake and hen in August and she wasn't laying. She started Thanksgiving weekend that year and kept going. I usually have one of them laying year round. In Sept they were mauled by a dog and stopped for quite a while. Right now I just started getting 3 a day (sometimes) from my 5 hens. I notice my older drake is pretty active but his "landing gear" isn't coming down yet.

[Oregon Swedes]

I can't remember back that far. All I can remember is that they slowed way down during the winter. Ate more in the winter, too, the little freeloaders.

I'm still waiting for the arrival of ordered ducklings. I ordered for May, hoping the weather would be a bit warmer and it would be easier to keep the new babies warm. We are having "duck" weather right now. Lots of rain. Can't complain when it rains in the desert, but this has sure been a wet winter for me.

[azduckranch]

I can't remember back that far.

I can't forget my first egg! We felt like new parents. BTW, we don't have any children.

[tinag210]

I'm in southern Illinois. My geese started laying about two weeks ago and the ducks started last week. It does vary year to year somewhat depending on the weather. One year we had a warm spell and then it got cold again and I had ducks laying eggs on the ice of our pond.

[btm]

I've had the same issue with the weather and laying especially with the ducks, here in KY spring comes quick along

with an occasional 31 degree night that stops the process.

[Chikz]

Same results as Evy's with my flock. Winters that have plenty of sunny days, they start laying in February, but last year they didn't begin until April and I expect that this year as well.

[Chris Choate]

My Calls generally start laying mid march this year being no different. I really want the ducks to start as late as possible for two reasons. One - like Evy, my drakes seem to fire blanks till early april and two - I am unable to collect eggs until early evening and in the cold weather they freeze before i get to them. I turn incubators on first week in April and hatch ducklings well into July.

[Evy]

My Calls generally start laying mid march this year being no different. I really want the ducks to start as late as possible for two reasons. One - like Evy, my drakes seem to fire blanks till early april and two - I am unable to collect eggs until early evening and in the cold weather they freeze before i get to them. I turn incubators on first week in April and hatch ducklings well into July.

I've had 1 good egg, 1 soft & 1 tiny in the past week. Still have snow in the pens & plow piles in the yard. I'm glad they're waiting.

[Patrick]

I do the same as Chris. Another good thing about ducks vs chickins, is that they can be hatched much later, and still be mature enough for the fall shows.

[Dondoyle26]

A few of my birds have been laying since January. But on that note we do not get the snow and ice the rest of the country gets. Even had a turkey that started to lay the same time as the geese. They started to lay then we got slammed with cold 30-40 degree weather. Who knows about those crazy birds what they will do. I still have some muscoveys, that have not started to lay yet and show no interest in mating that I have seen.

[chisamba]

Well, two weeks later, if i see the date stamp on your post correctly, but all of my poultry are laying. Do you eat your duck eggs, or do you collect them to incubate, or do you allow your ducks to sit ?

[Evy]

Mine are Calls & all go into the incubator. I'm getting a few now & the Seb. goose has started a clutch. Snow predicted for tomorrow. :-(

[Oregon Swedes]

I don't even have my ducks yet, but when they are laying, some eggs will get eaten, some hatched in the incubator, some sold as hatching eggs. If the ducks want to get broody, that's fine, they can raise a hatch of ducklings.

Primary purpose of the ducks is exhibition and roast duck. The eggs are just a nice bonus. I enjoy the contest to produce a better quality animal than anyone else is able to. Ducks are really a nice projects because the rejects make wonderful stir fry.

[jungle]

Still nothing from my indies. Perhaps soon...

[wyldehorses]

The Indies have been laying for two weeks here in Kentucky. The Egyptians are another story. The hen built a nest three weeks ago, goes into the box everyday, sits for a while and comes back out, but still no eggs. This is my first year for both. And will Indies sit on their own eggs? I have no experience ith waterfowl incubation, and was hoping they would take care of it.

Yolonda

[Mary]

I got ducklings end of May last year and they were laying in October. The gosling goose that I got at the same time started laying in January. I had to be careful or I would end up with frozen and cracked eggs.

I don't have any information on older ducks or geese.

[Evy]

Most ducks are pretty good broodys. You'll probably want to carry a bat when your Egyptians start. They'll attack everything within sight, including you, dogs, chickens & anything else that moves! Mine even cleaned out the Canada geese on the river ! Gave them away, eggs & all, after about a week of that!

[jungle]

Hooray! Got my first Indie egg today! Nice and inky...