At what age do ducks start laying eggs and will they let you know?

[Guernsy]

I have two Pekin ducks and two black runners. Pekins are almost 10 weeks and runners are almost 8 weeks old. When do they start laying eggs?
Will they let you know when they are ready? Do they need nesting boxes or would they prefer one? I have read that some ducks just drop or even bury their eggs, how can I prevent that?
Will they get mad, when I take their eggs? Will they need to eat different food too once they start laying eggs?
Thanks

 

[DuckyDonna]

I don't know about the egg-laying of pekins but your runners may start as early as 5 months and as late as 8 months. You'll know because one morning when you let them out there will be an egg. At that time start putting oyster shells on the side. They need it for the extra calcium to make the eggs. Do not mix it with their food. They instinctively know when they need it and will eat as needed. I have a little feeder that I attach to a post in their run.

Don't worry about taking their eggs because runners don't often go broody and won't want to sit on them anyway. They often lay "on the run" too so don't be surprised if there are eggs all over the place.