18 weeks old now- preparations for laying?

[zooweemama]

My first batch of ducks are now 18 weeks old. They are mating- especially the lead duck, a Pekin.

The ladies ALL fawn all over him. It is the funniest thing. The follow him around the pond doing the quacking head dance thing. Sometimes he runs away from them, sometimes he obliges. I am a little concerned with him and my Welsh Harlequin. He has mated her and she was totally submerged during it. She apparently came up and was none the worse for wear but it scared me.

Ducks generally begin laying after 20 weeks I have read- I should get some lay boxes in there now or wait closer to 20 weeks? Should I put some fake eggs in there so they can see what 'should' go in there?

Should I be offering oyster shell now?

Also lay box question: did you build yours, use cat litter boxes or other creative items to provide nest boxes for your ducks?

I am nervous and excited!

 

[flockman]

I am anxious for someone to answer. My ducks are 15 weeks. So I am a few weeks behind you, but my ducks are mating now and have been for about the last week. I was a little surprised at them starting so early.

 

[Miss Lydia]

My first batch of ducks are now 18 weeks old. They are mating- especially the lead duck, a Pekin.

The ladies ALL fawn all over him. It is the funniest thing. The follow him around the pond doing the quacking head dance thing. Sometimes he runs away from them, sometimes he obliges. I am a little concerned with him and my Welsh Harlequin. He has mated her and she was totally submerged during it. She apparently came up and was none the worse for wear but it scared me.

Ducks generally begin laying after 20 weeks I have read- I should get some lay boxes in there now or wait closer to 20 weeks? Should I put some fake eggs in there so they can see what 'should' go in there?

Should I be offering oyster shell now?

Also lay box question: did you build yours, use cat litter boxes or other creative items to provide nest boxes for your ducks?

I am nervous and excited!

When i first saw our ducks mating I just knew my drake was murdering my duck, lol but somehow they manage to survive the ordeal. You can put oyster shell out they will eat it when they need it. I don't have nesting boxes for my ducks, they have stalls I call bedrooms, where there is thick shaving and most of the time they lay their eggs there, sometime they lay in the chickens nest boxes which are those big plastic bins that stack open in the front and solid in the back, got them at Lowes. They will hold a duck easily, matter of fact one of my ducks brooded in it but as soon as hatching starteds I took her out so she would have more room.cat litter boxes the enclosed kind work good for chickens but my Muscovies are too big for them. you could try fake eggs if your wanting them to lay in a certain area. I used golf balls for my chickens but didn't use anything for my ducks. as long as they laid in the duck house i was happy.

 

[zooweemama]

When i first saw our ducks mating I just knew my drake was murdering my duck, lol but somehow they manage to survive the ordeal. You can put oyster shell out they will eat it when they need it. I don't have nesting boxes for my ducks, they have stalls I call bedrooms, where there is thick shaving and most of the time they lay their eggs there, sometime they lay in the chickens nest boxes which are those big plastic bins that stack open in the front and solid in the back, got them at Lowes. They will hold a duck easily, matter of fact one of my ducks brooded in it but as soon as hatching starteds I took her out so she would have more room.cat litter boxes the enclosed kind work good for chickens but my Muscovies are too big for them. you could try fake eggs if your wanting them to lay in a certain area. I used golf balls for my chickens but didn't use anything for my ducks. as long as they laid in the duck house i was happy.

In the span of 15 minutes he mated 5 ducks. 5 different ducks and of course he had to pin all the smallest ducks. At 630pm. So it wasn't at the start of the day or anything lol. Isn't that a little too much? My husband and I are a little put out by it- seems excessive. If he did that in 15 minutes what is doing the rest of 11 hours 45 minutes he wasn't being watched. :| Geez! lol We have 11 ducks and 3 drakes. The other 2 males are not that zealous. Just the male Pekin. In that 15 minutes only one of the other males mated a duck and unlucky for her it was one that had recently been had by our big Pekin.

I am going to put in a few plastic bins and hope they lay around that area I guess. We have 3 Pekins (2 girls, 1 boy and the boy is very large)- I think I will panic if I start finding crushed eggs. lol I have the oyster shell so will put some out for them. Should I put it by the pond or in their coop? The only time they are in their coop is at night. They stay on the pond or pond side the entire day.

Thanks so much!

 

[Miss Lydia]

In the span of 15 minutes he mated 5 ducks. 5 different ducks and of course he had to pin all the smallest ducks. At 630pm. So it wasn't at the start of the day or anything lol. Isn't that a little too much? My husband and I are a little put out by it- seems excessive. If he did that in 15 minutes what is doing the rest of 11 hours 45 minutes he wasn't being watched. :| Geez! lol We have 11 ducks and 3 drakes. The other 2 males are not that zealous. Just the male Pekin. In that 15 minutes only one of the other males mated a duck and unlucky for her it was one that had recently been had by our big Pekin.

I am going to put in a few plastic bins and hope they lay around that area I guess. We have 3 Pekins (2 girls, 1 boy and the boy is very large)- I think I will panic if I start finding crushed eggs. lol I have the oyster shell so will put some out for them. Should I put it by the pond or in their coop? The only time they are in their coop is at night. They stay on the pond or pond side the entire day.

Thanks so much!

I have the oyster shell close to where their feed is under cover. From all I have read it seems them Pekin boys are really go getters when it come to sex. LOL what breed are your other drakes? Mating goes on non stop when they first start it seems, i always feel sorry for the girls, but as they age [like in 2-6 yrs] Kidding, they do slow down a bit. This is our 1 yr olds first year of adulthood and he can be over bearing at times with the girls, but they love him to pieces so I guess it's okay. My oldest drake and my gander have really slowed down alot.

 

[zooweemama]

I have the oyster shell close to where their feed is under cover. From all I have read it seems them Pekin boys are really go getters when it come to sex. LOL what breed are your other drakes? Mating goes on non stop when they first start it seems, i always feel sorry for the girls, but as they age [like in 2-6 yrs] Kidding, they do slow down a bit. This is our 1 yr olds first year of adulthood and he can be over bearing at times with the girls, but they love him to pieces so I guess it's okay. My oldest drake and my gander have really slowed down alot.

haha OK. I will just keep an eye on them. Man that Pekin is a hunk of hormones! LOL And the girls WERE constantly fawning over him - now I find them hiding in the reeds away from him (what we noted last night after all the mating). Poor sweet things. My other drakes are a Buff and a hatchery crested fawn and white runner. The Runner is the least hormonal that we have seen.

 

[Miss Lydia]

haha OK. I will just keep an eye on them. Man that Pekin is a hunk of hormones! LOL And the girls WERE constantly fawning over him - now I find them hiding in the reeds away from him (what we noted last night after all the mating). Poor sweet things. My other drakes are a Buff and a hatchery crested fawn and white runner. The Runner is the least hormonal that we have seen.

And it maybe because the Pekin has take over as dominant drake too, when I first had my ducks I had 3 drakes all came from the river, dumptees, well My one drake and I saw this with my own eyes the girls chose my one drake as their beau, so that meant that the other 2 drakes would have to wait for opportunities to get a girl, they didn't have the same access to the girls as head man did. They had to be sneaky. And yes I do think from all I have read that Pekins have a BIG appetite. lol

 

[zooweemama]

And it maybe because the Pekin has take over as dominant drake too, when I first had my ducks I had 3 drakes all came from the river, dumptees, well My one drake and I saw this with my own eyes the girls chose my one drake as their beau, so that meant that the other 2 drakes would have to wait for opportunities to get a girl, they didn't have the same access to the girls as head man did. They had to be sneaky. And yes I do think from all I have read that Pekins have a BIG appetite. lol

Yes the Pekin male is def top duck. Has been pretty much since the beginning- even before they got their full feathers. First to eat and drink and everything. If he stepped forward to get food- they all fell back. I was anticipating a lot of mating from all my reading on the forum here but honestly until I saw it- wow. I guess it wouldn't seem so bad if the ducks weren't always submerged and my 4 kids are either wondering what the heck is going on or trying not to cry because they think their duck is going to die or get hurt. First year of birds and we are all learning as we go!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes the Pekin male is def top duck. Has been pretty much since the beginning- even before they got their full feathers. First to eat and drink and everything. If he stepped forward to get food- they all fell back. I was anticipating a lot of mating from all my reading on the forum here but honestly until I saw it- wow. I guess it wouldn't seem so bad if the ducks weren't always submerged and my 4 kids are either wondering what the heck is going on or trying not to cry because they think their duck is going to die or get hurt. First year of birds and we are all learning as we go!

Aww poor kids I guess you have to do alot of explaining.

 

[zooweemama]

Aww poor kids I guess you have to do alot of explaining.

Yeah. A little.

lol 10 and 8 yo kinda get it but are really not liking the Pekin right now. They won't go out and watch the ducks much anymore. I don't blame them hehe. We were there for 30 minutes and it was like a dirty duck movie nearly the whole time. Not relaxing or picturesque at all.