Did you know ducks lay eggs in water?

[sdsmowen]

You stop ducks from laying in pools by keeping them locked up longer in the mornings. Pasture nest boxes sometimes help give them a spot to lay if you put fake in them.
Here is a good example of field nest boxes

This is such a neat simple idea thank you for sharing it!

 

[EggLuver]

Actually I think mother earth news did an experiment and covering eggs in lard is one of th worst preservation methods they tried. If i remembrr right You are better of just washing and refrigerating them.

Actually coating them in lard may not be the best but if you are trying to live without refrigeration or limited refrigeration then coating them with lard is a method that you can use. Lard is something that you will have on hand also with any pork that you cook. Keep in mind that you only need eggs for 3-4 months until the hens start laying again. If you are getting 200 eggs a year per hen, that is only 165 days where you will not get any from that one hen. I don't know about anyone else but mine do not all start and stop at the same time. Also know that what ever you put the eggs in or coat them with will leach into the egg just like air does through the shell. Refrigeration is always the best option but it is not the only option that you have.

I saw someone somewhere using cheese wax to preserve their eggs and that may be another option and probably a better one but more expensive.

 

[knightie]

They did several options most not requiring refrigeration, I was just passing on that they said lard covered eggs went bad as fast (or faster cant remember) than washed unrefrigerated eggs... I can't remember but I think waterglassing them was better ... May e tomorrow I can go find the article again... It was online.

 

[EggLuver]

The ones that were packed in lard went bad fast. the ones coated in lard did way better.

Here is the link to the article... http://www.motherearthnews.com/Sustainable-Farming/1977-11-01/Fresh-Eggs.aspx

 

[kbandrews]

I have found both rubbery ones and properly shelled ones. What is the deal with the un-shelled eggs? I have found them on the lawn as well as in the pool.

 

[RogueChickens]

What a cool trick! I heard about this same tip from a woman who lived on a boat, so didn't have refrigeration.

Off topic but worth it I think... She was uneducated; she did have refrigeration. If you live on water, construct a Spring box which floats in the water, and stays cool and watertight. Perfect refrigeration; streams you can do the same with also, plus a spring house if you redirect the stream into and back out into the stream. That's how our ancestors did it.

 

[Turnbullmusic]

The nesting box is such a great idea. We made one after we saw it on here...same day. It solved the problem of the ducks laying in the water. Both eggs were in the box in the morning!

 

[trapperred]

Reminds me of women having toilet babies it happens. I tried searching waterglassing here and nothing. I dont want to READ some article but talk to someone whos Done it. Our ancestors made pemican or beat meat using lard to preserve meat interesting stuff...

 

[maxpedley]

I once let the birds out and after a stamped of 30 chooks and 8 ducks their was a single fresh duck egg outside the pophole. I cant work out how this even happened. The ducks come out first and they were running a flapping away and then the chickens ran over the same area but somehow an egg was laid in the daily mayhem. It hasnt happened since!!

 

[helen williams]

Yes, just dredging my duck pond and also fishing out eggs. Wondering if I am brave enough to crack one - they only started laying a fortnight ago so if it's this year's it should be fine, but then again it might be last summers!