2 questions from

[PATOS]

I live in Villarrica Chile. I'm from the United States and I moved to Chile in
2012

1. Is it necessary to separate drakes from hens that are laying eggs for consumption?
2. I can choose from Indian Runners, Pekins or Muscovy.... If I mix them will the offspring be sterile?

I want to focus on egg production in a open range setting (see pic below)

 

[PirateGirl]

It is safe to eat fertile eggs, however, I would check with your agriculture/food agency there to see if the government has any restrictions or requirements regarding egg sales in general (not sure if they would care if eggs were fertilized). Often there are at least some laws about egg storage and safe handling practices.

From what I have read, runners are the most efficient breed in terms of converting feed to eggs. So you get the most amount of eggs produced from the least amount of feed. This is quite good from a business prospective. The down side is that runners are quite small so any drakes hatched probably are not worth processing/selling for meat.

 

[sylviethecochin]

1. Nope. The eggs'll be fertilised if the males and females are together, but that won't affect the taste or condition of the eggs (unless you allow them to sit in hot weather for a few days, of course.)

2. If you mix Muscovy and either of the other two breeds, the offspring will be sterile. If you breed a male muscovy to female mallard-type ducks, the offspring will be mullards, and will not lay eggs, but have very good weight gain. If you breed a male mallard-type drake to a female muscovy, the offspring will all be hinnies, and will lay eggs (or so I've heard.) But runners and Pekins are the same species, so they can interbreed without problems.

EDT: the offspring from both crosses can be either male or female. Male mallard x muscovy should produce some small males that will not lay eggs. Sorry, I just realised how unclear my post is.

For egg production, I'd go with runners. Pekins are calmer, but they lay fewer eggs. Muscovies lay eggs pretty seasonally and attempt to build up a clutch to brood. When they're brooding on eggs (35 days or longer) they won't lay any more eggs.

Be careful about your duck to drake ratio. Drakes are fine fertilising seven females or more. (That's the ratio I had this spring, and every egg hatched, except those that were killed by the high humidity.) but drakes are really hard on ducks, so you don't want more than one drake for every four females, and fewer drakes than that is better.

If you choose to mix breeds, it's best to put lighter drakes with heavier hens. I would not have a heavy Pekin with little runners, for instance.

 

[chickens really]

No need to separate unless the Drakes are being hard on the Hens? Don't need a Drake to get eggs. Only if wanting Ducklings

 

[PATOS]

It is safe to eat fertile eggs, however, I would check with your agriculture/food agency there to see if the government has any restrictions or requirements regarding egg sales in general (not sure if they would care if eggs were fertilized). Often there are at least some laws about egg storage and safe handling practices.

From what I have read, runners are the most efficient breed in terms of converting feed to eggs. So you get the most amount of eggs produced from the least amount of feed. This is quite good from a business prospective. The down side is that runners are quite small so any drakes hatched probably are not worth processing/selling for meat.[/QU


Thank you for your reply!
what then do I do with drakes- just eat them I guess, but that is why I am think about both Pekins and the Runners.

 

[PATOS]

No need to separate unless the Drakes are being hard on the Hens? Don't need a Drake to get eggs. Only if wanting Ducklings

I need to raise ducklings because I do not want to buy ducks in the future. My plan is to start with 25 and grow to 200 in 18 months with a mid term goal of 1000 or more in 3 years.

 

[PATOS]

1. Nope. The eggs'll be fertilised if the males and females are together, but that won't affect the taste or condition of the eggs (unless you allow them to sit in hot weather for a few days, of course.)

2. If you mix Muscovy and either of the other two breeds, the offspring will be sterile. If you breed a male muscovy to female mallard-type ducks, the offspring will be mullards, and will not lay eggs, but have very good weight gain. If you breed a male mallard-type drake to a female muscovy, the offspring will all be hinnies, and will lay eggs (or so I've heard.) But runners and Pekins are the same species, so they can interbreed without problems.

EDT: the offspring from both crosses can be either male or female. Male mallard x muscovy should produce some small males that will not lay eggs. Sorry, I just realised how unclear my post is.

For egg production, I'd go with runners. Pekins are calmer, but they lay fewer eggs. Muscovies lay eggs pretty seasonally and attempt to build up a clutch to brood. When they're brooding on eggs (35 days or longer) they won't lay any more eggs.

Be careful about your duck to drake ratio. Drakes are fine fertilising seven females or more. (That's the ratio I had this spring, and every egg hatched, except those that were killed by the high humidity.) but drakes are really hard on ducks, so you don't want more than one drake for every four females, and fewer drakes than that is better.

If you choose to mix breeds, it's best to put lighter drakes with heavier hens. I would not have a heavy Pekin with little runners, for instance.

wow you are really kind
I am still confused and need more time to think about what you said.

I think that I will get 15 Runners and a 10 Pekins and see what happens....
My goal is eggs bu if I have to cull drakes then I may want to get that Pekin weight in the mix..?/ or no??

 

[sylviethecochin]

wow you are really kind
I am still confused and need more time to think about what you said.

I think that I will get 15 Runners and a 10 Pekins and see what happens....
My goal is eggs bu if I have to cull drakes then I may want to get that Pekin weight in the mix..?/ or no??

Dual purpose doesn't work out well in large-scale operations, or else large-scale operations would use dual-purpose birds. If you want a large-scale egg operation, you're going to want the best egg-layers. If you want a large-scale meat operation, you're going to be feeding for weight gain, and you'll want very good meat-production. Is it worth a set-back in your ultimate goal (very good egg production) to add a few dollars to your operation now?

If it's possible to buy two-hundred sexed females, I would far rather do that than try to raise four-hundred birds, then sex them, while feeding these two-hundred extra birds. Then you would have to butcher and find an additional market for the carcasses. Do you have the facilities to butcher two hundred birds? That's quite an expense in and of itself.

Also, ducks lay eggs everywhere, rather than in a nest. So you'll have to confine your laying ducks until ten in the morning, or your eggs will be everywhere, all over that property.

 

[casportpony]

@sylviethecochin, great posts!

 

[sylviethecochin]

@sylviethecochin, great posts!

Thanks!