Best duck breeds for egg production?

[Miss Lydia]

My Runners are excellent egg layers my Buffs too.

 

[BornToQuack]

Our blue Indian Runner Ducks are excellent layers, and also lay really pretty seafoam/light green eggs.

 

[PaulX]

I'm just wondering how many eggs a year a runner's supposed to lay. Runner advocates seem to say they lay 300 a year, but the first few results on google seem to say they lay only 200 a year on average, some as low as 100, which is not better than the pekins at all, and they're supposed to be an egg breed? I'm confused. What good are they then besides being funny and cute?

 

[Timothy Menezes]

Runners used to be one of the best layers. But for the past 50 to 80 years have been bred for looking pretty instead of high egg production. So their laying abilities have come down from where it used to be.

Doesn't mean they are bad layers, just average. You will find plenty of variability in their lines. Some lay considerably better than others. It's sad, and I wish some big hatchery would take on the challenge of rebuilding them back to what they were.

Your best pure bred layers are going to be Khaki's of course. But their are some lines that lay better than others with them as well. Followed by Welsh's in my opinion, but plenty of variability between lines of them as well. Dave Holderred has the best line of egg producing Welsh's that I know of.

The White Layer and Golden 300 from Metzers are simply crosses of Khaki Campbell crossed with another duck. I think they are crossed with black swedish for the 300, and silver swedish for the white. But that's just my opinion based on my observations. Anyway they both have a very good reputation for egg production.

Most other lighter weight to mid weight ducks lay in good to average range. Most of the heavier ducks don't lay as well as the lighter ones as they tend to have been bred with meat production as a priority.

 

[Timothy Menezes]

Oh I forgot you asked about pretty eggs, I think runners do. They have the highest chance of laying a blue or green colored egg. Of the runner breeds, the chocolate actually has the highest probability of laying a colored egg. The fawn and white has the lowest probability of laying colored eggs.

 

[Miss Lydia]

My Runners lay a pretty blue and as for amount I’ve never counted but I really don’t care because I like to keep my birds around for a long time so egg laying isn’t top priority with me.

 

[Fisherlmiranda]

1.Well my welsh harlquin lay a egg every day pretty religiously. I've heard khaki Campbell's do too.
2. I just got my first cayuga egg and it was pretty cool . Good luck in your research.

 

[Fisherlmiranda]

Our blue Indian Runner Ducks are excellent layers, and also lay really pretty seafoam/light green eggs.View attachment 1698913

Ooo those are beautiful

 

[Kkrista123]

Runners!!!
They lay 180-300 eggs a year!
Also their eggs can be quite fun colors, read here https://runnerduck.net/egg-colours.php
Not to mention their amazing personalities!!!

 

[3bird]

Our silver Appleyards are fantastic layers (~250 per duck per year). They do slow down a little Jan-early March, but we always have beautiful white-shelled eggs! They are also personable, gorgeous and great foragers. What's not to love?!