Daily Duck Egg Report for 2015

[Miss Lydia]

My drake has been being very attentive to my hens, so I think eggs aren't far off

. I know hens combs redden when their about to lay, have any of you noticed your ducks caruncles get brighter when their about to start laying?

Yes I'm seeing too, not just my girls but the drakes are red as fire now too and mating has begun hot and heavy. So far only one duck egg and that was from one of my older ducks and she hasn't even mated with anyone yet.

 

[Kaessa]

I KNOW that one didn't roll in.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Some one couldn't wait.

 

[Tevyes Dad]

Yes I'm seeing too, not just my girls but the drakes are red as fire now too and mating has begun hot and heavy. So far only one duck egg and that was from one of my older ducks and she hasn't even mated with anyone yet.

With Kaine, he's been running hot and heavy since his head turned green last summer

But now he has gone completely hormonally crazy so in addition to running hot and heavy, he is attacking Tevye and Greta a lot. So he is spending several hours/day in solitary confinement which is a 2 x 8' run that came with the cruddy coop we bought way back when we only had Tella and Ettie. It isn't much room, but it is just him and a water bowl. The other ducks get a break for a couple hours while he paces back and forth. Then we let him out and he runs over the the pool splashes for five minutes, runs over to the feeder, eats as much as he can. Runs over to the water drinks. Rejoins the flock with his head back quacking indignantly and he behaves for about 30 minutes. If he's lucky he gives some attentions to one of the ducks. Then he attacks Greta and/or Tevye and back in solitary he goes. There are two funny things about this:

1) I don't control what happens overnight in the house, but I am not worried, Greta & Tevye can take care of themselves. If they really got hurt, either one could fight back. The only duck missing a chunk of feathers is Kaine. My guess is he went to far with Tevye and Tevye ripped a 3/4" area of feathers out of Kaine's chest. (I first saw this about a week ago - no blood, but no feathers either, just some down.)

2) Tevye likes everybody* but Greta for some reason has never liked Tevye. Everytime he comes close to her, she pecks him until he goes away. She doesn't go out of her way to attack him, but she has made it clear that she only has eyes for Kaine. Since this has started, Greta has become more tolerant of Tevye. She hasn't yet succumbed to his charms AFAIK, but they have hung out together a bit which is unusual so maybe he has a chance.

*Anyducky getting between Tevye and lettuce or worms might get pecked.

 

[Fairyprncss5678]

I have no idea what you are talking about... I KNOW that one didn't roll in.

Smh! These girls............ You know....my drake is almost two years old and I used to see him mate with the girls all the time. I can't remember the last time I saw any of that action. I've also NEVER had a fertilized egg.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Smh! These girls............

You know....my drake is almost two years old and I used to see him mate with the girls all the time. I can't remember the last time I saw any of that action. I've also NEVER had a fertilized egg.

Mine are just getting started so maybe it was winter break?No mating happened here from Oct till just this week.

 

[Kaessa]

One egg this morning at 8:30. Going to go back later and check for a late one. I'd be very surprised if both of them laid every day.

 

[Kaessa]

And... checking back at 10:30, there was another egg. Still warm, too, and it's just now hitting 50F. I'm guessing she laid it sometime after 10.

 

[SouthernPride]

Hi all, I haven't been on in a while but thought I would need to today because I have TOO MANY EGGS! Low and behold here is this thread!

I have 8 girls, two are experienced layers and hatchers. The other 6 are in their first year. I've been getting 3 - 5 eggs a day for a month or more. My drakes have been very busy with the hens so I can only imagine that these are fertile. I don't want to hatch them yet, but I will allow a couple of hens to incubate if they go broody this spring.

I had been able to sell about 6 dozen, but cannot get a buyer this week. I had been washing them with a little hand soap but now have learned not to do that if I plan on storing them for a few months in the frig. What about those that are covered in poo because they were not laid in a nest? I can't store them in the frig with poo on them! Yuck.

I'm the only one the family that will eat the eggs, well, me and the dog that is. Here is a weird question; I know that they will occasionally eat a raw egg, shell and all. Could I cook some of these up and feed them to the ducks?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi all, I haven't been on in a while but thought I would need to today because I have TOO MANY EGGS! Low and behold here is this thread!

I have 8 girls, two are experienced layers and hatchers. The other 6 are in their first year. I've been getting 3 - 5 eggs a day for a month or more. My drakes have been very busy with the hens so I can only imagine that these are fertile. I don't want to hatch them yet, but I will allow a couple of hens to incubate if they go broody this spring.

I had been able to sell about 6 dozen, but cannot get a buyer this week. I had been washing them with a little hand soap but now have learned not to do that if I plan on storing them for a few months in the frig. What about those that are covered in poo because they were not laid in a nest? I can't store them in the frig with poo on them! Yuck.

I'm the only one the family that will eat the eggs, well, me and the dog that is. Here is a weird question; I know that they will occasionally eat a raw egg, shell and all. Could I cook some of these up and feed them to the ducks?

Good to see you SouthernPride I don't know if your ducks will eat the eggs or not mine don't particular like them my chickens do though. They will gobble down crushed egg shells once in a while, I boil most of my ducks eggs for my 5 dogs they love them. if any of mine have poo on them I take warm water and one of those scrubby sponges and wash it off I've done this for years and never had any problems I don't put the egg under water just get the scrubby moist and take off the dirt and poo. Then refrigerate

If they go broody

Muscovy's right?