Do I have egg eating ducks?! It's April nly got one egg this year from 11 hens.

[Waddlewoods]

It's now nearly mid April and I have only received 1 egg since October from my 11 hens (7 runners, 1 crested appleyard and 4 calls).

2 of the runner girls are previous layers (3 years old). The rest were all hatched last August.

I've never had this issue before as previous years they have always started laying in early February. Someone recently suggested that they may be eating the eggs. I mean I don't know but isn't that a lot of eggs to be eating?!

They are eating a layer mash, I'm giving them ouster shells.

Could it just be our crazy weather this year? I'm in Ontario, Canada and it's been warm a day here and there but the next day it's freezing and snowy or an ice storm.

Any suggestions? I've put some fake eggs out in the coop and made them nesting areas even though I know they likely won't use them. I don't let them free range until around 11am so I figure if they were laying they would have done so already in the coop. Tonight I put a chicken. Egg in there to see if it was still there in the morning. Lol.

 

[townchicks]

Leaving the chicken egg in there is a good idea. You might also try leaving them in the coop all day to see if they lay. They might just be hiding a nest or 2

 

[Waddlewoods]

Leaving the chicken egg in there is a good idea. You might also try leaving them in the coop all day to see if they lay. They might just be hiding a nest or 2

I've tried that a couple times!! Still nothing. I'll keep you posted on the chicken egg.

 

[Waddlewoods]

Leaving the chicken egg in there is a good idea. You might also try leaving them in the coop all day to see if they lay. They might just be hiding a nest or 2

Update on the chicken egg...

It was still there in the morning. It was also still there this morning.

When I opened the coop this morning the 2 fake eggs and 1 chicken egg were all up against the door and rolled out as the ducks left the coop. I just left them there. In the afternoon we were headed out and I noticed a raven fly into the tree by the coop so I went to check it out and make sure the ducks were alright. They were down in the bush at the swimming hole. I wondered if the raven was eyeing the eggs but left them there. Just went to lock up the ducks and the eggs are gone. Lol. Whether it was the raven or some other animal they are in for some disappointment. Lol. Hopefully it wasn't a snake.

I guess it must be the weather. We seem to be moving into full time spring weather now so hopefully they start laying.

I have checked my yard for eggs but it's a hardwood forest with endless places. I watch them when I let them out in the late morning and check everywhere they seem to go but have found nothing.

One of my snowy call hens went missing last week. Part of me wonders if she is sitting on a nest somewhere. I guess time will tell.

 

[townchicks]

Well, at least they aren't eating them. I hope your call show's up.