I think she’s probably just not quite ready to lay yet, but she should start soon. She’s randomly laying the eggs wherever, rather than in a nest. Thanks. Ideally, ducks need 14 to 16 hours of light per day in order to lay at their maximum potential. You can still add peas, mealworms, chicken, and other veggies and foods, but they can’t be a staple by themselves. Unfortunately, some ducks are so desperate to lay in whatever hidden nest they deem superior to what they have in their coop that they will hold their eggs until they are let out, even if it’s past noon, so keeping them in the coop isn’t necessarily foolproof. So, if you let your ducks sit a nest, of course, you’ll see a slow down in egg production while they molt. If she’s locked up all day with no ability to forage, with food available 24/7, she could be overeating. I hope that helps and I hope your ducks start laying again soon! As far as we are aware nothing has changed but one just stopped laying eggs, she is active and seems healthy, Any advice please. They slow down much faster. They get along splendidly. The highest egg production will always be during the first year, and it gradually tapers down after that. Also can ducks cross-breed like dogs can do? , Hello, Broody ducks stop laying when they have a clutch of eggs and begin to sit a nest. Only one of our female is laying the others aren’t. One type of food never comprises a full diet. The time of year – the length of daylight can affect egg production. Pekins start laying eggs when they are about 26–28 weeks of age and can be kept economically for about 40 weeks of production, when they will have laid about 160 eggs. 2. Some people expect them to mature earlier. Additionally, here’s a sample of my favorite music group, 24K Gold Music, to cheer you up! When trying to pin down the exact reason your ducks are not laying, these are the main factors to consider: If you’re still not sure, contact me and I’ll try to help you. Other than that, though, she seemed fine. A Pekin hen typically starts laying eggs when she is five to six months old. But the female is not laying. Not all ducks like to go broody, but those that do will lay a clutch, go broody on it, and then stop laying. Far too many people breed their ducks for no real reason and then end up with too many extra drakes that they don’t know what to do with. Have you considered the possibility that the previous owner lied about their laying ability? These ducks are usually very active therefore don’t get surprised if somethings get dirty on the farm. Parsley is supposed to be a laying stimulant. The mom isn’t necessarily laying. She won’t lay while she’s raising ducklings. My ducks often stop laying when it’s extremely hot. Managing the health of your flock is a hands-on process, and you must make time daily to handle feeding, cleaning and maintenance. I was assuming one of our chickens are stealing the eggs, but I check for eggs when I let them out.I also don’t let them out until noon to make sure they lay. Describe her diet. Worms can cause a drop in egg production. What is happening? Anyway, if you don’t think anything else in the article could be the problem (predators, hiding the eggs, etc. Describe her living area. Raising Ducks is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Be sure they’re active, eating and drinking well, and in good health. They are eating layer feed that I mix from commercial feed but add oats, sunflower seeds, and DUA. Assuming so, I wonder if it could be a genetic problem, possibly caused by inbreeding? Temperature extremes will prevent a duck from laying. It takes several months for them to get back into laying after having babies. She is active, lively and comes when I call her name. This is one of the oldest ducks there is which people have been using on their farm. Parasites will also prevent a duck from laying. 4. It is seen that some ducks even out-lay chicken in terms of eggs. It might be worth trying giving your birds a little bit of parsley for a few days. Unfortunately, constant laying is unnatural and thus can only be maintained with an unnatural diet. 2. But I’ll consider putting an image with my email address on the homepage (if I just write it out, bots will be able to read it). It’s also possible the diet is fine for the other ducks, but not for this one. However, especially the first day you do this, they may refuse to lay their egg until you let them out. It could have been a “soft” molt that you didn’t notice. If they don’t start laying pretty soon, though, you might want to experiment with changing their diet. 3. I can rule out stress as a factor. If you breed your ducks, please make a plan for what to do with the babies. I believe they stop at five or six years old. I have four Indian runner ducks- one female and three males. In general, living with a disability could be stressful even without pain. That blank box is strange. 2. I have ruled out season, daylight, age, illness, broodiness, weight, and molt. They lay eggs at night or at sunrise at around 4 am to 8 am. If the drake is aggressive, that could especially hinder laying. The birds are molting, 2. Please help. ), or at least give her extra calcium in the form of oyster shells or crushed up eggshells. Some kind of health problem would be my best guess, but I don’t know for sure. Thank you for being willing to answer a few Muscovy duck questions. In the wild, they only need a few clutches. 3. If you go to work before this time, you might consider investing in an automatic coop door. But I wouldn’t be surprised if the Kahaki Campbells, at least, will lay in their coop if you wait until 9 AM or so to let them out. We have executed the programme and the females are now all fine, no sudden deaths have occurred. The, Today's eggs. How protected is it? I would suggest feeding her either chicken layer feed with added niacin, or waterfowl feed if you can find it. She is quite attached to my other duck who is a male khaki Campbell. Even small animals such as mice, rats, and snakes can be thieves. I’ve noticed that frequent weather changes can really mess up my ducks’ laying. However, no matter what breed you have, you can expect good egg production for 3-5 years, and they will likely stop laying entirely when they are 7-9 years old. Our male does frequently courtship the females on the pond and has mated them a few times based on what i see. The health of the duck – illness or parasites can hinder laying. I am not sure if lack of a companion is stressful enough to prevent laying, but I recommend getting her a companion either way. 1. Molting definitely has a huge effect on their laying and it can take time for them to kick back in after molting, so that could easily be the cause, although I would expect them to return to laying very soon if so. The age of the duck – as they get older the amount of eggs may reduce. A laying duck’s diet needs to contain approximately 17% protein. We still feed them every day, and they stay near our back gate. Putting a nest box out near where they like to stay would certainly encourage them to lay there, although it wouldn’t guarantee it. Also, the harder you push a duck to lay (such as by using artificial lights to lengthen the laying season), the more they will lay in a year, but the sooner they will stop for good. Has anything else changed since you got the drake–the weather, the feed, even the feeding schedule? I’m sorry for the late reply. But the amount of protein can vary according to the breeds of duck. I don’t think you have much to worry about. For example, if they hatched in March, they’d be old enough to lay around September, but by that time the days would be too short, so they would only start the next spring, most likely only after all the snow has melted. I’m not sure if the sharp points would be a risk to other hatchlings, but you’ll need to remove them at some point anyway if the mother doesn’t eat them. On average, ducks lay roughly 32 to 52 pounds of eggs annually ... chicken hens, regardless of breed will usually slow or stop their egg laying. How To Stop Your Duck From Hiding Her Eggs. Thanks for getting back to me. currently have Muscovy ducks and we raise them for eating the eggs, occasionally for meat, and for general fun to watch! A very stressful event can also cause a molt. I can’t really say what’s going on. Many other health problems can hinder laying, even if they don’t have many other external symptoms. Last year, I bought four geese from a lady who claimed the all-gray geese were females and the saddleback (part gray, part white) ones were males. How much does she eat? They’re still very young and things could change. Naturally, many Muscovies can lay for more than twelve years. (How To Stop Your Duck From Hiding Her Eggs), Can ducks lay 2+ eggs in one day? BuffThe Buff is among duck breeds known as dual-purpose. We had to make the i, Sylvie. This means that technically, you can’t make your ducks lay more (through artificial lighting and other techniques). Be sure to list the duck’s age, breed, diet, and other pertinent information. To avoid issues of males overmating the females and damaging their backs, I would recommend a ratio of one male per at least six females. These ducks were bred specifically for meat and egg production but have become almost synonymous with the word duck today. Hi, How do you know which ducks laid the eggs? What Time of Year Do Ducks Lay Eggs. Also, feeding too many treats that have little nutrition, such as scratch, bread, and lettuce, will fill her up with food that doesn’t give her much nutrition, and thus she’ll use it for fat rather than eggs. Before bedtime, high-fat, high-calorie treats such as cracked corn or peanuts help to put on a bit of extra weight for winter and keep the ducks warm overnight digesting it (peanuts are far more nutritious than corn); Be sure your duck house is well-ventilated. I’m not against people breeding their ducks, but don’t do it if you don’t have a plan for what to do with extra drakes if it’s necessary. My Muscovies, which don’t lay very much, usually will lay a clutch of 5-15 eggs, and then stop laying and go broody. Is there anything stressful that frequently happens to your duck–being chased, being picked up and petted or held a lot (some ducks enjoy this, but many don’t), being in a pen that is too small, enduring unhygienic living conditions, being bullied by chickens or other animals frequently, not always having water available, or something else? For backyard farms, the right male-to-female ratio of ducks to have depends on the breed of the duck. Ducks often lay for far longer than chickens. Adult Pekin ducks weigh between 8 and 11 pounds (3.6 and 5 kilograms) in captivity. Then here are three egg-laying scenarios that you’re likely to encounter: 1. They are in a good sized paddock with cattle panel fencing to free range during the day (they also get some layer feed)and locked in an old horse stall w/ chicken wire around the edges at night. 3) When a baby hatches we usually take it out to rear for a week in a special area for babies before selling them. As far as I knew, she never laid a single egg. They finished molting a few weeks ago? I don’t know how strong it is or if it has been proven, but a lot of people use it and insist it works. There are many reasons why ducks may stop laying eggs or may not lay eggs. Or maybe they actually haven’t finished molting? Hi I have 5 ducks: 1 Pekin, 2 Mallards, and 2 Khaki Campbell's. Usually when the treats are getting past their human’s standards of fresh, i.e. So I’m completely baffled by all this bc prior to molting she was the most dependable layer easily outlaying all my chickens. If you don't want her to hatch them, then remove the egg after it is laid each day. The addition of new birds can upset the flock dynamics and cause enough stress to cause ducks to stop laying. Or the drakes not being satisfied with only two females and going for the hens instead, which could kill them. Ducks can have special dietary needs and sensitivities, just like humans. Here’s a link about slipped tendons in case it has any useful or new information for you: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/slipped-tendon-in-chick-anyone-ever-try-to-fix-this-experiences.879233/. Thanks for your advice. Maybe you could try arriving earlier to let them out of the stall? Young young ducks may be about to start laying eggs. I’m sure everything has been going well so far or you would have mentioned it, but you definitely want to keep an eye out for missing feathers on the back of the ducks’ necks and things like that. But it might help. She’s laying eggs with soft shells? If your Runners have plenty of energy and do a lot of running around, and they still have their slender bowling pin shape, you’re probably good. So definitely change her diet. I hope that helps! If nothing else on this list sounds like the culprit, here are a couple things that might help to restart their laying: 1. Ducks often go broody right after laying a clutch, even if you’ve picked the eggs. This site uses cookies. She was born with slipped tendons in both her knees but I take her to the vets on a regular basis to be sure she’s not in pain. If it’s hot, they also need a lot of shade. So, it could be they’ll start soon because the stress of moulting and meeting the new girls is over, or it could be they’re fat, or it could be there’s not enough protein in their diet (although there are lots of bugs etc about just now). Read “When do ducks start laying eggs?” for more. Pekin ducks will start laying eggs at an age of 5 months. Some ducks laying eggs, some not. Hi, I have 4 white Khaki Campbell female ducks, that are 3 years old, when should they stop laying please. If it isn’t specifically for laying birds, it’s possible they need extra calcium. I can also try to help you more, if you provide a little more information. Ducks lay eggs in between March till the end of July. The seller said she is a year old. If you’ve been pushing your ducks to lay as fast as they can, they will run out of eggs sooner. They have never had a problem with laying previously. How To Stop Your Duck From Hiding Her Eggs, What your ducks’ daily routine and living area is like. A while back my chicken eggs dropped (I’m using chickens as an example because my ducks are Muscovies and Muscovies are not prolific layers like Indian Runners or these chickens), and it turned out that one of the hens had made a nest in the very back corner of our storage area, where almost no one ever goes. If the ammonia in the air is strong enough to be detected by a human nose, it’s strong enough to be harming their health. You might not see improvement immediately, especially since I think you’d be approaching winter in Australia, right? They are about chickens, but they apply to ducks as well. In 2 acres of forest, there are nearly unlimited places they could hide their eggs. She looks exactly like the others has more energy too just a tiny bit smaller then the others but she always has been. Provide a children's swimming pool filled with water if you can. We did get a few small eggs over the past couple of months but I chalked it up to their youth. I eventually isolated the problem as being low phosphorus in the diet. I once bought eleven ducklings. Do you have extra calcium available? It usually doesn’t have as much of an effect on Khaki Campbells as other breeds, but it might still help. If their living area is too dark, they won’t know when the sun comes up, and thus the day will seem shorter and they may not lay. Often, ducks only start laying in spring regardless of age, although that’s rather unusual for an Indian Runner. It’s a daily egg hunt since they don’t nest like chickens do. She may be laying, just not where you expect! What is a good number of male ducks to female for fertility? I agree that a thief seems like one of the most likely possibilities. Depending on where you live, you might have to wait until the days are shorter before they lay again. Nope. It’s easy to tell when a duck is broody. Table 5.4: Site of egg-laying by individual Pekin ducks during a behavioural demand test where they had to perform increasing amounts of work to access a nest box containing a preferred substrate (saw dust) while the least preferred option (astroturf) remained free. I hope you figure out what’s going on and they start laying again soon! Good luck with your new ducks (and chickens)! Automatic Coop Door Opener Kit (CKSP-Standard Kit, No Battery), ChickenGuard ‘Premium’ Automatic Chicken Coop Pop Hole Door Opener & Closer with Timer & Light Sensor Plus Our Classic 30 x 40cm Aluminium Door & Oak Runner Kit, Auto Door Automatic Chicken Coop Door Opener – Timer Mode, Late Comer Setting, LCD Screen, Cheeper Keeper Automatic Chicken Coop Door Opener - Complete Chicken Coop Door Opener and Closer Kit, Safe for All Standard Sized Chicken Breeds, Happy Henhouse Automatic Chicken Coop Door Opener Kit - Light Sensor, NO Timer, Battery Operated - Electric Auto Chicken Guard Door for Coops, Cages, Runs - Sturdy Poultry Safety Supplies Kit, 1 used & new available from $149.95 ($149.95 / Count). If they free range, the eggs could be anywhere in the grass. Is it possible for you to rule anything else out? They would need more calcium, and maybe more protein as well. I’ve also been fluffing up her bedding and basically destroying her nest. To be sure you are able to collect her eggs, make sure she stays locked up in a coop or small run until it’s late enough in the day that she should have laid her egg. So, it’s very important to feed your laying ducks balanced diet feed containing sufficient amount of necessary vitamins and minerals. Stress will hamper a duck’s laying ability severely, or even completely prevent her from laying. They don’t appear to be molting or ill. The rule of thumb is 4-5 square feet per duck for the night, and at least 10 square feet per duck for the day or for a full time pen. Related Articles:Why aren’t my ducks laying eggs?When do ducks start laying eggs?What time of day do ducks lay eggs?How to stop your duck from hiding her eggs. And if they’re older (3+ years old), all of these things will have an even bigger effect. Save my name, email, and site URL in my browser for next time I post a comment. 2. My boy is not rough with her either. Even the best nest boxes might not always appeal to a particular duck. Slightly larger than the others on this … Lack of activity could result in obesity, and not being able to walk could also be stressful. 4. Have you actually tried to fix the slipped tendon? ), Artificial Incubation vs. Natural Incubation, 10 Effective Ways To Sex Your Muscovy Duck (With Pictures), Review of “Storey’s Guide to Raising Ducks”, Review of “The Small-Scale Poultry Flock”, Aggressive Ducks: Why drakes attack and how to permanently stop aggression, I love Elvie's blue eyes. Pekin ducks will quack about any predators close to them. I recommend rationing your ducks’ food, as well as not leaving it laying around all day long, and instead giving your ducks two meals a day. Do I need to separate the males and female? One of mine even thought about laying inside an empty cement mixer. ), bushes on the neighbor’s property, under tarps, and pretty much any hidden, dark area they could find. I hope you have success after this is all over! They only mate when I put them in my swimming pool and I usually stop them If he is getting too aggressive. It’s one of the most frustrating issues people have with their ducks, and also one of the most frequent complaints I hear. They are all about 2 months old, so I was wondering when will they lay eggs... Also when they do they eggs when will the eggs hatch? The one thing I notice that seems rather odd is she actually seems distressed when the male runners mate the pekins. To prevent foxes or other animals from stealing the eggs, keep your ducks locked up in a coop until they have laid their eggs. But hopefully she’d start laying again come spring. Mostly Ducks lay eggs 100 to 300 times per year. Runners aren’t prone to getting fat. I listen to these uplifting, inspiring songs almost every day. Top 7 Best Egg Laying Duck Breeds. We are at the start of Winter here in Australia - frost at night and cool 12 degree C days. Why don’t you just say your email address somewhere in the homepage? The problem is, they won’t lay nearly the amount of eggs we might expect, because today’s perfectly computed feeds have been crafted to squeeze out every egg the duck is capable of laying. Hi, I have a problem for which I would like some advice. I’m not sure, though. Is there anything I can do to help this situation? As for being fat, actually, I don’t know of any reliable way to feel them or look at them and tell for sure whether they’re fat or not. As for the geese, they probably wouldn’t be laying this time of year anyway. Should I leave a laying box out? Release time for foraging is about 9am, and they get the morning daylight under the eves of the roof. My hybrid commercial layer chickens lay almost every single day, but occasionally one will take a break for a day or two. Stress probably caused their laying to stop initially, but yeah, if it’s been five weeks, I would have expected them to start up again–unless they started molting. It’s possible that this is the first sign of some sickness, but it’s unlikely. They are about 4 months now, and we’ve released them back onto the river in our back yard. Also, ducks are a little different than chickens in that some of them are seasonal layers & completely quit during the cooler months. It also depends on the breed because some ducks lay eggs throughout the year and they can lay over 250 eggs or more. That was just two days ago? What does she eat? Those that sink to the bottom are still fresh. It’s best to have at least four females per drake, or you run the risk of the females being overmated or even killed. In general, the ducks that lay more eggs per year will not lay for so many years as those that lay fewer eggs per year, because ducks are born with a fixed amount of embryos (usually around 1500). And we let them out at dawn and put away at dusk other than that they have full access to 2 anchors of forest. Even if they are in a coop all morning and/or spend the day in an enclosed run, be sure that there are no gaps that an animal could slip through. We keep track of how many duck eggs we collect in the morning to know if we need to keep looking or not. Anyway, if you don’t think any of the other 15 reasons I listed in my article explain her lack of laying, I’m guessing she’s just not quite ready yet but will start on her own within a few weeks. If they molt or are molting, they probably won’t. If the soil isn’t wet enough to work, they’ll take a swim. Hopefully they will still lay this year. In fact, ducks will even use their bottoms to wiggle round nest depressions into moist soil. With this assessment do you think that if all the issues are resolved that normal laying levels can be resumed. They can’t tell whether their eggs are fertile or not. Has anything stressful happened? A feed mixture of laying ducks should contain about 16% to 18% protein. Over the summer I was given 2 female Pekin ducks (unknown age) & after a short period of time they seem to assimilate with the Indian runners. Thanks. Also, she needs calcium in order to lay. Some ducks are gluttons, and obese ducks don’t lay. I’ll have a look into changing their diets. A while and somehow I ne, and you must make time daily to handle feeding cleaning. If the soil isn ’ t good layers you discover two eggs in their house are unlikely lay... Release time for a duck from Hiding her eggs ), that will prolong. Once tried feeding my ducks are laying incredibly well, and molt are normally broody, if were. Ducks only start laying again soon two ducks isn ’ t be productive... Light in your coop of their coop ducks but only one of mine even thought about that,...., large, and they can lay well even when they ’ laying... 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