NEED MY DUCKS TO LAY EGGS

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AnconaDuckFarm

AnconaDuckFarm

Chirping
5 Years
Dec 10, 2014
55
1
84
I really want my ducks to lay eggs. I got them in March as ducklings. I have artificially lit them for 3 weeks. They free range during the day so a lack of food? Tell me EVERYTHING i need to do because I have to get this business up and running. THANK YOU
 
AnconaDuckFarm said:
I really want my ducks to lay eggs. I got them in March as ducklings. I have artificially lit them for 3 weeks. They free range during the day so a lack of food? Tell me EVERYTHING i need to do because I have to get this business up and running. THANK YOU
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Ducks are sort of funny about laying on a schedule. They will lay at the time they choose and where they choose. I have 14 Cayuga females that "matured" at 20 weeks. On the 20th week day one of them laid a beautiful dark grey egg. She has continued to lay an egg every day since (about 1 1/2 months). None of the others seemed even remotely interested in egg laying. Then about a week ago I went to let them out and there were an even dozen dark grey eggs scattered around their coop. They have nest but only once has there been an egg in one. They are just scattered around the coop. Also, at least once a day there will be an egg just dropped in their run sort of as a side thought.

So the lesson I have learned is that they do what they want when they want and that is that. Very independant little cusses.
 
I agree. Ducks do what they want to. I have 9 hens. Cayuga, blue swedish, buff orp and khaki campbell. In the last week I have been getting anywhere from 1 to 4 eggs a day.
 
The light in the coop in on for about 11 hours a day but my ducks are outside most of the day unless the temp is colder than -20. If its really cold they only go out for small bits of time. All my hens were hatched this spring. They just started laying. I feed layer/grower chicken feed from my local feedmill. It has grit and oyster shell mixed in also. I was trying to feed duck feed but my chickens would eat it all before the ducks got brave enough to come in and eat. They also get all the scraps from my house, my job and the local grocery store.
 
Sorry ancona, I didnt answer your question very well. As to how much feed they get. I have 75 chickens, 25 ducks, 4 geese and 4 rabbits. In total they eat about 45 pounds of feed in 2 days. The rabbits get rabbit food but they love chicken feed. They also get flaked corn and some sunflower seeds mixed in at night. And as I said before scraps.
 
I would count on them laying come spring and if they lay before then that will be a plus. Even with artificial light it isn't a guarantee they will lay all winter and since they didn't even start laying before the days got shorter that isn't in your favor. I hope you get eggs soon.
 
Hi, can I ask what state you live in? I'm in Michigan and I raise Ancona ducks. With yours being still young and hadn't begun laying before the shorter daylight hours, artificial lighting might not work to get them to start. Once the ducks are at least a year old going into the next winter, they will be more likely to lay eggs more often. But just like the other posts stated, ducks don't lay consistent. Even when the young females do begin to lay eggs, the eggs will be very small for a couple months. They won't be big enough for hatching purposes and you won't get top pay if you sell them for eating. This process takes much patience and the love of ducks!
 

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