Duck Eggs! Cayugas! Advice

[LadyScimitar]

Hello! my ducks are getting really close to 6 months! i also think on is a male ;-P
I have one duck house with wood inserts inside and three holes so they can nest individually. they have been hanging out in there. so thats exciting. but i was hoping you all could tell me

how long did it take for your ducks to start hatching?
what can I do to encourage this?
And how clean or how often do you clean there house. (i noticed they are in there more now that they have their own rooms but they are pooping more ;-P) just clean as needed? how do you clean your eggs?
can any recommend a good duck/egg book?

 

[DemonicFowl]

Do you mean breeding or laying eggs to eat? At six months or close to it they should be sexually mature and start laying. It also depends on the light they receive as it aids toward egg production. Make sure you use the right feed when they are laying and and when they stop. Don't keep them on the same feed as a layer if they are not laying! They have Different nutrition ratios and needs.

Ducks will due as ducks do. You can't force or tell your ducks to breed. To encourage nesting make sure the enclosure is sturdy and safe feeling to the duck. Use straw and wood shavings in the nest boxes. To check if an egg is fertile wait 7 days after the suspected egg has been lay'n. That will be enough time to candle and see if there is an embryo developing. (Dark veins) I believe fertile cayuga eggs hatch in around 27 days.

A good sign that her nest is fertile is she will be on it most of the time. Getting off only to eat or swim a bit. Also if you suspect that the nest the duck is sitting on is fertile try not to disturb the duck, while shes nesting, to much or she might abandon it.

As for the house clean as needed, so probably once at day or so. Depending on how many ducks you have.