Ancona Ducks

[winteree]

they're just like chickens, they work of the #of daylight hours there is. The days have gotten shorter and that slows or stops the laying cycle. If you add light to their pen then you may get them to start laying again but there is long term consequences such as shorter laying lifespan due to being forced to lay.

my chickens haven't slowed down at all and I haven't been using extra light for them I guess my ducks are just more sensitive to the environment its sad through I got ducks because I heard they lay further into the winter. ya see how far that one went :/

 

[Alice28]

well funny thing after I posted that they both stopped laying all together do they not lay in the winter? I only have two hens

My girl is still laying. From what I've read they should keep laying. Sometimes they take time off in the winter, but because it's their first year and they just started to lay they should still be. Are they hiding their eggs maybe? My girl is trying to make nests ad hide them under the shavings in the duck house. What are you feeding them? Are they getting enough calcium?

 

[winteree]

My girl is still laying. From what I've read they should keep laying. Sometimes they take time off in the winter, but because it's their first year and they just started to lay they should still be. Are they hiding their eggs maybe? My girl is trying to make nests ad hide them under the shavings in the duck house. What are you feeding them? Are they getting enough calcium?

ill keep an eye open but their aren't many places they could hide them...I'm feeding them a 16% layer protein I couldn't get ahold of a feed made FOR ducks but my favorite online duck farmer only uses layer feed for chickens and he gets eggs normally. And yes they have free choice crushed oyster shells.

 

[Alice28]

ill keep an eye open but their aren't many places they could hide them...I'm feeding them a 16% layer protein I couldn't get ahold of a feed made FOR ducks but my favorite online duck farmer only uses layer feed for chickens and he gets eggs normally. And yes they have free choice crushed oyster shells. 

I don't know then. Because they just started laying, they should lay through the winter this year. Very odd.

 

[minihorse927]

I don't know then. Because they just started laying, they should lay through the winter this year. Very odd.

this isn't always true. If i get one that starts laying late in the year, generally by decembe they quit or become very sporadic with the laying.

 

[winteree]

I don't know then. Because they just started laying, they should lay through the winter this year. Very odd.

ikr

 

[winteree]

this isn't always true. If i get one that starts laying late in the year, generally by decembe they quit or become very sporadic with the laying.

we will see spring is around the corner I just hope it isn't a bound egg but that wouldn't happen for both of them....

so idk

 

[ChristineR]

this isn't always true. If i get one that starts laying late in the year, generally by decembe they quit or become very sporadic with the laying.

I agree. None of my duck breeds have ever laid all the way through the year. They generally quit sometime in the fall. I don't put lights on them, because I think their bodies need a break. If you live in the south part of the country where there are more hours of daylight, your ducks might lay a little longer.

 

[mandabach]

Soooooooooo cute!

 

[winteree]

well I have been getting them ready for next semester and I have been letting them out at 6am and I guess it made a difference I started getting normal sized eggs for about three days now but the shells seem almost translucent white you can clearly see the air cells but the eggs are hard its just weird