The 5 khaki campbells I ordered are now 18 weeks old, and my layer hybrids are 13 weeks, so it's a little soon for them, but I also have a fully adult buff orpington duck I have had for 2 months, and a campbell I acquired a few days ago who was laying until she arrived, as well as two black swedish "girls" (I got them with the buff, no drake plumage, and their quacks are loud (unlike my drake), but not quite as full bodied as all my other hens, they sound kind of breathless when they "talk"-- I'm starting to suspect they're a bit androgynous.)
Is there anything I can do to make my pen more "zen" to encourage laying in my adult girls?
My nighttime pen is 23x11 in open floor space, located about a hundred yards from the house in a very quiet corner of the yard. It's a chain link run with no roof, a windbreak set up, and about 3 nesting "huts" filled with hay- one large, two small in the opposite corner from where all the ducks gather to eat and drink.
22 ducks are housed in that space from approx 6 pm to 10 am, they free range and forage around the 2 acre backyard the rest of the time. I'm feeding a mana pro chicken layer crumble feed with a little cracked corn mixed in since it got colder, Sometimes when they free range I notice them eating dog food from the outdoor dog bowls (which is purina complete.)
None of the ducks are obese, and none of them are too thin, and there is usually a little food left in the feeder when they get out in the late morning. They get a full feeding in the evening and a half feeding 12 hours later.
Feather condition is quite good and no one is sick.
I've never had any predators thanks to my guard dogs, and I only have one drake so it's not like they are being harassed.
They all seem pretty content during the day.
It seems to me like the buff should be well adjusted enough by now to be producing, and like I mentioned, a khaki I got a few days ago laid for her previous owner the morning before she came out to the farm (they gave her to me because she was an only duck and very lonely.)
I keep them penned up until 10 am, and I've checked all over the yard, just in case there is an egg hiding spot, it's too cold for snakes to be stealing eggs so it's a pretty sure thing they just aren't laying.
The only thing I can possibly think of that might "stress" them is when my daughter has to chase and catch her 4H duck briefly to handle it, and the adult swedish "girls" are very bossy to the other ducks sometimes.
Any one have any suggestions of things I could do to close the "no egg" gap? holiday baking season is coming fast!
Is there anything I can do to make my pen more "zen" to encourage laying in my adult girls?
My nighttime pen is 23x11 in open floor space, located about a hundred yards from the house in a very quiet corner of the yard. It's a chain link run with no roof, a windbreak set up, and about 3 nesting "huts" filled with hay- one large, two small in the opposite corner from where all the ducks gather to eat and drink.
22 ducks are housed in that space from approx 6 pm to 10 am, they free range and forage around the 2 acre backyard the rest of the time. I'm feeding a mana pro chicken layer crumble feed with a little cracked corn mixed in since it got colder, Sometimes when they free range I notice them eating dog food from the outdoor dog bowls (which is purina complete.)
None of the ducks are obese, and none of them are too thin, and there is usually a little food left in the feeder when they get out in the late morning. They get a full feeding in the evening and a half feeding 12 hours later.
Feather condition is quite good and no one is sick.
I've never had any predators thanks to my guard dogs, and I only have one drake so it's not like they are being harassed.
They all seem pretty content during the day.
It seems to me like the buff should be well adjusted enough by now to be producing, and like I mentioned, a khaki I got a few days ago laid for her previous owner the morning before she came out to the farm (they gave her to me because she was an only duck and very lonely.)
I keep them penned up until 10 am, and I've checked all over the yard, just in case there is an egg hiding spot, it's too cold for snakes to be stealing eggs so it's a pretty sure thing they just aren't laying.
The only thing I can possibly think of that might "stress" them is when my daughter has to chase and catch her 4H duck briefly to handle it, and the adult swedish "girls" are very bossy to the other ducks sometimes.
Any one have any suggestions of things I could do to close the "no egg" gap? holiday baking season is coming fast!
