Do ducks need more hours of light to lay an egg?

happyhens44

BroodyAddict
9 Years
Apr 25, 2010
1,446
4
159
Northern WI
My rouen female duck is a year old. She started laying an egg every other day in the the beginning on winter. (layed most likely a total of 10 eggs) at 9 months old about. But stoped. and I havent got a egg in 3 months! does she need more light? or is she out of season?
 
When my pekin fist started laying, she layed about a dozen eggs, then stopped and didnt lay another egg for a month.
Now she lays an egg every day. I dont provide any additional light now either.
 
I have had my ten runners for a year, now, and they seem to be on their own rhythm. I did find that keeping them above 40F greatly improved their laying. But there are some hormonal, seasonal changes, too. They lived outdoors 24/7, but I noticed in the late fall they were not doing well - shivering, walking around hunched over, lacking zest. They gave us 3 eggs a day at that point, down from 10 a day in the summer. I brought them into the basement at night, and on the worst weather days. They gave me 8 or 9 eggs a day from November through January. Then they started tapering off to 5 or 6, then a couple went broody, now I get 4 or 5. And that is fine with me - it is one reason I have ten runners. They can take turns, take some rest. They get some artificial light in the winter, since they are in my basement. It's not to make them lay, it's so I can see my way around and do things down there!
 

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