Eggs being laid! Need advice

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DuckyMama92

DuckyMama92

Chirping
Sep 5, 2015
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Hi,

4 Pekin's and from my reading, it seems like the freckled bills are the females, maybe my sources are wrong. But we know we have at least 1 male because nature keeps calling..... We found our first egg today, they are 5 months old this week. Now that one of them has started laying, and others may follow, is there anything I should know about caring for laying ducks? Feed, care, cleaning eggs, etc....

Please and thank you!

Helen
 
I believe at that age your drake should have a tail curl. If you have a drake it's best not to feed him a layer feed as it has too much calcium for him. If you can get a grower feed or something like Flock Raiser that would be best. Storey's suggests a feed with 16% protein for laying ducks You can cut the food with something else to reduce the protein. I use rolled oats. Your girls will need additional calcium. Offering oyster shell free-choice is the easiest option. I actually plan to keep feeding mine Flock Raiser even after they start laying as I think it matches their nutritional needs better than chicken feed.

If you don't have a drake you can just feed them all a layer feed. You should still offer oyster shell on the side for those ducks that need a little extra calcium.

You can choose to clean the eggs or not. There are a few threads around here debating the options. Just do a search and a lot of info should pop up.
 
Good to know! Thank you!
Is it true that you can tell females from males by freckles on the bills? I have two with freckles and 2 with none at all. No curled feathers yet but I know for sure that one is a male due to certain activities I've observed lol
 
That's what I've read everywhere, but they all sound the same to us, though the one male we know we have still kinda peeps instead of quacks but we've heard quacks too.
 
I don't know about the freckles on the bills. If by activities you mean one duck mounting another you still may have all females. Sometimes when there is an all female flock some will mimic mating. Some people think it might be a dominance thing. Though if you have seen a penis then you definitely have a male.
 

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