Yep, perfectly normal. They will lay smallish eggs sporadically for the first bit. I have some 4 month old pullets laying, along with my 4 month old duck.
I change mine about once a week. Large pool with 3 adult ducks. I'm on a spring, so dumping and refilling a large kiddie pool just takes to much water :( I top it off every day, and take some out for the garden, but only 5 gallons or so.
On cleaning day, I use an aquarium syphon to get most of...
Ducklings in a brooder are super, super messy! They get water all over and they like to mix the feed and water together. They also grow very fast. My ducks were adult size at 8 weeks old. I currently have 5 ducklings that hatched on June 14, they have tripled in size in 12 days.
Adult ducks...
He's a duck, he'll be OK. A couple inches deep is fine for a young duckling. He needs the water to clear his nose.
My ducklings are 6 days old and swimming in the kiddie pool.
Morning I let the adults out of their house into a large run. Top off water (all 3 sources) and top off feeder, scatter scratch in the run. Let out babies that I have separate to free range and fill their food/water, let my broodie and her clutch out into their small pen inside the run fill her...
I raise my ducklings just like chicks, with two exceptions.
Make sure they have enough niacin in their feed, and make sure they have water deep enough to dip their entire head in.
I have a flock of four. 2 hens and 2 drakes, all around 14 weeks. So far, I have not had any issues. They do run with my flock of 20ish chickens in a very large run and free range in the afternoon.
Update! One egg is pipped tonight! If I hold the eggs to my ear, I can hear scratching, pecking noises :)
We lost one egg. It stopped developing for some reason and turned muddy brown and stared to smell, so I tossed it.
I agree, separate mama and babies. If you can move her before the eggs hatch, that would be best, in my opinion.
I always move my broodies when the start to set. I put them in a quiet area with their eggs so all the eggs hatch on the same day. Once the babies are hatched and dry, I move the...
My Mom always said that a hen would set for 6 weeks before giving up. She had chickens her entire life, 70+ years. I don't know how long before they give up as I always give my broodies eggs to hatch. I do know they will set for 4 weeks, as you can use a hen to hatch duck eggs.
I had one older Buff Orpington that consistently layed soft shelled eggs. I never could figure out what was up with her and I finally culled. I hope you can get your girl straightened out.
I candled the eggs today. All 6 show veins starting to develop. So far so good! Mama comes off every couple of days for 30 minutes or so to eat, poop and dust bathe. She does have food and water right beside her nest as well.
Does anyone use ducks as pest control in their veggie garden? I have a sow/pill bug and slug problem. I'm hoping the ducks can run in the garden and eat bugs for me.
I have raised beds in 1/2 the garden and a traditional garden in the other 1/2. Pros? Cons? Potential problems?
I've had a few chickens over the years that consistently layed double yolkers. I just got a giant egg the other day. Bigger than a duck egg, lol. It was 2 full eggs in one shell. I feel a big sorry for the hen who layed that one.