Duck Egg Size

[zooweemama]

So I have Runners, 300s, Pekins, Buffs and Harlequins. I have 11 females. I am only getting 4-5 eggs a day. So I do not think they are all laying. I have never had a 6 egg day. Ever.

I have been getting this many eggs for over a month now.

The average egg size is about 52-68 grams. (ranging from 2 -3 ounces approx each egg) Now these eggs are easily fitting in standard egg cartons. Every now and then I get a double yolker that will go 95 grams or so- those won't fit in the cartons.

Duck eggs seem to feel a little heavier for their size when compared to chicken eggs. But I am not having any issues with fitting duck eggs into chicken egg cartons. Is this everyone else's experience with ducks eggs?

So size wise they are not very big but they are very heavy. When you look at this guide-
http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/2902/2902-1091/2902-1091_pdf.pdf For sizing (chicken eggs I assume) generally.

Also if you see Metzers site (where 8 of my females came from) my egg size and what their site says aren't matching up yet. http://www.metzerfarms.com/DuckBreedComparison.cfm?CustID=1162152

How long would a duck need to be laying before their egg size begins to be more of what it 'should' be? I seldom get any eggs over 68 grams. Months? A whole laying season? Mine have only been laying about 6 weeks so far...

Per dozen my yield fluctuates from 30 ounces to 36 ounces (thats not counting any double yolkers). So even when I get a 36 oz dozen- the eggs are still not what I would consider jumbo sized but are indeed heavy.

I wonder what would make the duck eggs seem so much more dense? Anyone else experience this?

 

[Grassman 52]

I have 6 Pekins - (5) ducks (1) Drake - they just starting laying a couple of weeks ago and the last few days I have been getting 4 eggs a day. Size is about what you are getting - the very large eggs have all been double yokes and the balance about the size of a large chicken egg. I thought the size will increase as time goes on similar to chickens.

I don't expect to get 4 eggs a day either - I would expect to get 3 a day with 5 ducks. Just my opinion - not all your ducks are laying as of yet. My pekins were 19 weeks, how old are yours?

 

[zooweemama]

I have 6 Pekins - (5) ducks (1) Drake - they just starting laying a couple of weeks ago and the last few days I have been getting 4 eggs a day. Size is about what you are getting - the very large eggs have all been double yokes and the balance about the size of a large chicken egg. I thought the size will increase as time goes on similar to chickens.

I don't expect to get 4 eggs a day either - I would expect to get 3 a day with 5 ducks. Just my opinion - not all your ducks are laying as of yet. My pekins were 19 weeks, how old are yours?

My ducks are 25 and 28 weeks old now. My Pekins are 28 weeks old and 1 of my Runners is also same aged. The rest are all 25 weeks old.

I got my 1st egg on Sept 2nd. 2 eggs the next day and 3 eggs the day after that. The day after that 5 eggs and from then on between 4-5 eggs a day but occasionally I will have a 3 egg day.

 

[Grassman 52]

Can you tell which ducks are laying?
This is my first year with ducks, but I would expect you to be getting more eggs than you are. With chickens I would band the hens I found in the nest boxes with zip ties and it would give a good idea of who was laying and who wasn't. With my ducks, they all laying in one location and are done before I let them out at 7:30am.

So I will be watching this thread to see how other duck owners would handle this situation -

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

our khakis lay an egg the same size as most of the chickens, the silver appleyards lay a huge egg (jumbo size).

out of 7 Khaki girls we get 5-6 eggs a day currently (one is a juvenile)

The SA flock gives us 2 eggs a day right now (most of the girls are juveniles so will be awhile yet)

 

[wildpeas]

I have 7 ducks and usually get 7 eggs each day. Sometimes there is only 6 but not often. They all lay in the same nest and all live together so I don't know who is laying what. Most of the eggs are large chicken size and one or two are extra large/jumbo. I have a scale on order so I can start getting a better idea of what I am putting in the fridge. My ducks are around 7-8 months old and have been laying for about a month and a half.

 

[zooweemama]

Can you tell which ducks are laying?
This is my first year with ducks, but I would expect you to be getting more eggs than you are. With chickens I would band the hens I found in the nest boxes with zip ties and it would give a good idea of who was laying and who wasn't. With my ducks, they all laying in one location and are done before I let them out at 7:30am.

So I will be watching this thread to see how other duck owners would handle this situation -

It is - I am very confident my layers are the Golden 300s and the Harlequins (I have 2 of each of these girls). I think every now and then a Buff (I have 2 Buffs) kicks one out. Today I found one of my 300s (Penny) was making a nest...she is acting a little broody. She was pulling feathers out and had quite the little hole dug behind the waterers and trying to sit on a few of them and wouldn't let my son get them. First time for us! But she did get up when I came into the coop- she acted a little confused when I came in (my son didn't know what to do). My son is the egg gatherer.

But it's hard to tell with them- they have 3 boxes but usually lay in one. Except today Penny must have rolled them all out into her little nest. I let my ladies out at 10am. Although we have all 4-5 eggs by 8am. I am holding out in case any of them are donating eggs to the pond.

 

[zooweemama]

I think I should experiment with keeping them in the coop for an entire day. Keep them watered and little snacks so they don't get bored and maybe I have a few ducks that like to lay in the afternoon?

 

[animalz11]

Duck eggs seem to feel a little heavier for their size when compared to chicken eggs. But I am not having any issues with fitting duck eggs into chicken egg cartons. Is this everyone else's experience with ducks eggs?

My hens eggs are fat and can get up to twice the size of chicken eggs, so if I fill a carton full of their eggs, I often can't close it.
When they first started laying the eggs were long and narrow and were the size of a chicken egg, so I could fit them all in a carton with no problem, but now... eessh.

 

[zooweemama]

My hens eggs are fat and can get up to twice the size of chicken eggs, so if I fill a carton full of their eggs, I often can't close it.
When they first started laying the eggs were long and narrow and were the size of a chicken egg, so I could fit them all in a carton with no problem, but now... eessh.

What duck breeds do you have? How long into laying did it take for the eggs to become larger?