ARGHHHHH She's Begun Laying Again!!

[FunnyBunnies12]

Woke up to find that Oreo laid an egg in her shelter!!! Looks like I get to experiment with my 1st taste of duck egg!! I’m pulling it, and I’ll pull all the others. I might buy me some brownie mix this morning and see how they turn out.
Explains more of Ming-Ming's behavior. Right before she started laying he got very mean and aggressive, protective, territorial of her. I hope he shot blanks, but regardless rather he did/didn't each egg she lays I'm taking.

So what is the proper way to wash eggs??

 

[katharinad]

Just remember the eggs need to be in the fridge for 2 weeks if you plan on having hard boiled eggs. They wont peel nicely otherwise. My boy is having the act daily with my girls and I bet some of the eggs are fertile. I collect daily and store them in the fridge. That way they never start to develop. The egg white texture is denser, and so it the yolk. Don't really taste a big difference. They are tastier then what you get from the store. You will notice the difference when baking. Everything is so much moister. I use the same amount of eggs in my recipes, regardless of duck or chicken. I do bake about 5 minutes longer with duck eggs because of the extra moisture. Washing is simple. You want the water to be warmer then the egg so the egg expels the dirt. I fill a small bowl with hot tap water, put in the eggs, add a few drops to dish washing liquid and let it sit for a minute. Then I take a scrubbing sponge and scrub off what is left and rinse. Dry the eggs, write date with pencil onto it, and off to the fridge. You can easily keep it for 6 weeks.

 

[FunnyBunnies12]

This really explains the drakes behavior, why would that be?? I mean today since she laid he isn't as bad. Weird, he even followed me to the nest without attacking me and being mean, didn't really care for me taking his egg but he wasn't what he was yesterday or weeks before. But I washed the egg with Dial Antibacterial Soap and dried it off. My son is home for the 3rd day, he's better but recoping and catching up on home work, and he accepted the egg fact of life! LOL! He looked out and said "You got to be kidding me!! Can I make brownies!?" So, I told him most likely they aren't fertile and Ming-Ming is shooting blanks(said that to ease his mind) and he felt how fricken cold the egg was and he said "It's dead." So what he truly does not know won't hurt him. I have a few people who are wanting and willing to bake with my duck eggs. I do have to say, for her 1st egg it is a nice shape and size better then her 1st round start of fall. It will take me a bit to ease into it, but I've accepted it. It's just my babies hatched 6wks ago from what I'm seeing in my hand and remembering but you know, i'm ok with it since you taught me the egg facts of life. I'm just worried now how this will affect momma and her strength. We got snow last night and it's still snowing and she is standing there just shivering. They seem fine with the snow. I got to remember to check both shelters now that I know she is laying.

 

[katharinad]

Give her oyster shell on the side daily and the vitamin/mineral/electrolyte water once per week. It will keep her strenght up. I give the "special" water to my birds once per week too. They are laying and it is cold outside and the ground is covered with snow. They don't need it in summer when they free range and eat all kind of goodies. Don't forget to buy grit for them too. They can get any dirt due to the snow so they need it.

The incubation has taught you something. You now know that it takes solid 4 days of heat before you can see development. You will never have a surprise if you collect daily and refrigerate. Occasionally you will see a tiny spot of blood in the egg. The chicken industry sorts those eggs out and discards them. In Germany we call it a "rooster's foot". I don't know where that name came from, but it is funny. Has nothing to do with fertility, happens with and without drakes around. This happens when the duck produces the follicle for the egg and it detaches from her ovaries. I don't bother when I bake with it, but remove it when I make scrambled eggs. It's only a tiny dot anyway. Have fun cracking it. The shell is very hard and the membrane is something else.

 

[FunnyBunnies12]

LOL, better go to GQF and place an order for a BIG multipackage of the vitamin/electrolite. I do have oyster shell, and grit I can get here at the farm store. And yes, I can NOT wait until I can get these ducklings outside! I love them, but wow!! It is more work then my 12 rabbits. But I don't regret it at all. But dang they are so skittish!! Probably because they aren't in our living room any more being socialized around humans 24/7

 

[Miss Lydia]

Duck eggs are the greatest for baking.

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

started laying????? I brought a pair of muscovies at the poultry swap in October and the hen has not laid egg one..she was on a clutch of eggs when they took her off and sold her along with a drake...silly ppl. now I asked if she would lay and they said any week now...well I have not seen egg one...and ppl. are telling me she will not lay now until next spring..so your duck laying gives me hope yet....Thanks so sharing. Enjoy!