When do mallards start laying?

[tbishop]

I have a pair of mallards that are two months old and fully feathered. Any chance they'll start laying this summer or fall or will they wait until next spring?

 

[tbishop]

 

[Amiga]

Hard to say, it really depends on the individual. My runners started laying at 16 weeks, four days to about 22 weeks. We had eleven, so it took a while for everyone to get on board.

Are they playing hop on top yet? Laying started about four weeks after that behavior started.

 

[melissamerry]

She's a cutie. Mine started laying almost exactly at 6 months ( I marked it on the calendar when I thought she would lay. She was off by a few days). When she started laying, it was the middle of January. Also, I'm in Southern California, so we didn't have winter weather.

Mallards are also supposed to be seasonal layers, not year round. I hope she lays soon! Eggs are so yummy.