6 months and not laying :(

[daidyducks]

Like always I research and research when my darling frightens me with a random change! And when I give up because I can't find the right answer I come to you guys!
I have read many things about why a Pekin duck may not be laying and it's usually something about the protein in their food; not enough. But my baby gets just the perfect amount with layer pellets. Althoughhhhh she RARELY eats! I've been giving her the right food since she was a baby, and I give her a treat once /twice a day. She roams around the yard and prefers sleeping next to my window instead of her coop at night. Her, along with a drake. They eat bugs here and there, grass, drink water..etc.
I have noticed she keeps coming inside the house and just hangs out for a while, goes out, and back in, and so on..
She seems to be annoyed a lot but I'm not sure if that would have anythng to do with this..

So do you guys have any suggestions, or ideas, that may help? She is 6 months and a few days old.
The weathers nice, sunny. My house is filled with trees so it's also very fresh and they have a million favorite spots! I went around looking for eggs even in the smallest spots they hang out at and I found nothing

I did find a "nest" looking hole inside their coop but from glancing I found nothing laying around. Do they HIDE the eggs?
Their coop has hay so the "nest" looking hole was just hay moved away in a circle exposing the dirt

Help!!

I'm worried

Thanks for the help! xox

 

[Blob Chicken]

O.k ,I've got to say this first. I HATE questions like this.

She will lay when she lays. There are generalisations of when a bird might lay ,but all and all ,she will lay when she's ready to. She might not lay for another month ,or even untill next year.

 

[Dances with Ducks]

I wouldn't worry too much unless she is acting sick, starting to lay a month or more late isn't unusual. Her body may just need some more time to prepare for that complicated function. I suspect from the behavior you describe it may not be too long. Let us know.

 

[70%cocoa]

I agree with the others.

6 months is not really that old. Ducks often haven't read the manual that states that they will start to lay at 6 months

I would definitely not be worried at this point

The timing of their hatch plays a part too. I have two birds that are well over 6 months old and have not started laying yet. They were hatched at the 'wrong time' to be old enough to start laying in or before winter and the days are not yet long enough here (it is still winter here). But I know they will start eventually. Your duck has hit 6 months when your days are getting shorter, so it could be that she doesn't have the right environmental 'cues' to trigger her laying at the moment.

To encourage her to lay in the nest once she does start you can put a couple of plastic or ceramic eggs in there. That's what I do and I find that mine have laid in the nest 99% of the time.

 

[The Duck ABC's]

Humans don't start with their period like clock work either.

She will change a little bit in personality a few days prior. Ducks most of the time will become withdrawn for a few days to sort out the hormonal change. Then the eggs will be all off the chart for the first 2 weeks. Mainly odd sizes, and oh yeah they are also pretty much infertile in that time fame too.

There is nothing wrong with your duck. Let nature take it's course.

 

[sallysinnamon]

no worries..one day you will just find a random egg somewhere. when mine started laying there would just be an egg in the middle of nowhere..by a water dish, but the door to their pen..once in the middle of my garden! once they get the hang of it they seem to pick a spot they like to lay them in. at 6 months they're considered of laying age, but that doesnt mean they will lay right away! good luck!

 

[sallysinnamon]

oh yeah..they like to cover them up too. when mine lay them in nests they cover them with straw and feathers..so dont be afraid to reach in and look.

 

[70%cocoa]

That's right, and if your nest is on a base of sand or dirt they can even bury them. So look closely and dig around gently

 

[Amiga]

Does she have free choice oyster shell? If she's not eating much of the layer feed, and eating things that are low in calcium, it might help her to get a calcium boost in any case. I have no idea if low calcium would delay laying, but it does take a long term toll on a duck's health.

(My runners seem to be eating so much when they forage that a few of them may not be getting quite enough calcium, so I'm working on that.)

 

[daidyducks]

Thank you all!! For being kind

my fear is gone for this is what I just found when my little brother called my name!!

So I saw this JUST NOW! Im wondering, is this alright for it to look this way?!

This came after...
They're both squishy and gooey! Also, Should I leave them where they're laying ?