Duck Eggs

If they quack loudly, they are not drakes; they are females. Also drakes can take awhile to get their drake feathers. And four months is still pretty young yet for some to start laying.

This video is great to show you how drakes sound: 

http://youtu.be/QX04X0nrF1A

It's how I learned "who" I had.  

I have a rouen duck who didn't start laying eggs (that I know of) until she was approx. 10 months old. Watch out, ducks lay eggs wherever they want--unlike chickens who like a box. My duck was laying eggs in the woods, and in other not-so practical places.  She could of been laying some for a while, and something could of been eating them.  Keep them in a confined area until noon or so, by then you would know if you were going to eggs.    So to my knowledge, I say- 10 months. 

My ducks started laying at around 5 months. But at first, they may lay really small eggs, eggs without shells, HUGE eggs,...etc... Also, if they quack, then they are hens, not drakes. Drakes make a raspy noise...Hope this helps.
 

As everyone else has already said: female ducks, like female humans, are much louder than their male counterparts!

I can remember our Pekins started laying around 5-6 months.

Good luck :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by dominicsaturday 

As everyone else has already said: female ducks, like female humans, are much louder than their male counterparts!

  You cheeky thing!!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mum 

  You cheeky thing!!!!

X2 

it also depends on the breed, some mature more slowly, some only lay seasonally so you see eggs until breeding season 2013.

I just stumbled upon the Duck thread here . . . I thought my ducks were too young to start laying. They aren't even 5 mos. old yet. I have found 7 eggs so far, and there may be some out there I haven't found yet. With the exception of the 2 I found this morning that weren't there yesterday and the one I that was being laid as I walked around the corner tonight (a weird egg with a full membrane but missing 1/3 of the shell!), I pitched the rest. I don't know how many days they had been sitting out exposed to the sun and heat. I thought about cooking them and feeding them to the chickens but was worried they might be spoiled (the eggs, that is - I know all my chickens and ducks are spoiled, lol). I have 2 female Pekins and 1 Pekin drake. The eggs were pretty much laid wherever - neither hen is broody (yet). And I let them free-range on 2+ acres. Guess it's past time to set up an enclosure for them. Also, I've been giving them some of my chickens layer feed - they love it. I will start adding a bit of oyster shell, too. One of the Pekin hens has been raiding the cat food for awhile now - I've tried hiding it, putting it up on a small table in the garage, under a covered table in the garage, etc. She always either sniffs it out or watches the cat - and then bullies the cat away from it and pigs it down. She loves it but I'm worried that it's too high in protein for her. Does anyone else have a duck that eats cat food???