Got 4 eggs out of Pekin ducks house

[chickchoon1]

this VERY cold morning. She hasn't laid, to my knowledge, since October and the last week shes been in her covered kennel with her buddy, a Call drake, and I have never investigated what their lay cycles are so am curious if anybody knows Pekins and if they lay, pretty much, only in certain seasons? She is almost 1 year and I have had Pekin ducks in the past but don't remember keeping track of their egg production. My other Pekins lived to 8-11 yrs old so I know they don't continue laying as they get really old but am just curious if they lay in January in bitter cold? OBVIOUSLY she has for the last 4 days but given the upset on farm lately with hawk predation(thats why, along with all the snow, they are penned up) and the fact its the middle of winter I am surprised she laid Welcome surprise!.

 

[holm25]

It gets -20 here if not colder and our hen lays year around and almost everyday she will takes a few days off but I don't blame her.

 

[chickchoon1]

It gets -20 here if not colder and our hen lays year around and almost everyday she will takes a few days off but I don't blame her.

Well I wouldn't have expected every day because I know my chickens naturally slow down but she WAS laying daily starting from her first lay at appx. 12 weeks old(but then quit in October so I assumed that was a cycle but guess not). Hope she keeps it up because her eggs are so big and it keeps us fed.

 

[needlessjunk]

Well I wouldn't have expected every day because I know my chickens naturally slow down but she WAS laying daily starting from her first lay at appx. 12 weeks old(but then quit in October so I assumed that was a cycle but guess not). Hope she keeps it up because her eggs are so big and it keeps us fed.

Are you sure she was 12 weeks when she started laying? That is insanely early.

 

[chickchoon1]

Are you sure she was 12 weeks when she started laying? That is insanely early.

Yep. I agree but I had just bought her(really nice sellers that live urban and had nice/HUGE penned area) and that was the only way THEY figured it was a female because 2 of their 3 Pekins were laying. All 3 months old. She was 10 lbs already, also, at 12 weeks old so that seemed odd to me.I sex by their vocals and needed a female(I was down to just a lonely drake Call)and wanted a large duck for a couple of reasons. Sellers seemed extremely honest and given the time of year(mid July) and the fact they said they had purchased end of march ducklings from TSC I believed them. Is it possible Pekins lay early because traditionally they are slaughtered early(meat birds) and its kind of like feral cats that go into heat at 3 months of age(because they die so young, oftentimes) trying to beat death? Most of my ducks have been gotten as rescues and were adults already when obtained so I don't know when they start.(ooooh-did the math and they WERE closer to 4 months so I am sort of a liar!)