Duck eggs....how to know?

[Bettyboop7499]

Hello BYC member!

I have three ducks, one Pekin, one Chocolate Runner, and one Blue Runner. I was wondering how to tell their eggs from my Chickens eggs. I’ve attached a photo of four eggs and a quarter for size reference. I’m pretty sure the bluish/greenish eggs are from the Blue Runner because I don’t have any chickens that have the gene to lay that color egg, as of yet. Also, there is a sooty coating on the green eggs which I’ve read is on Blue Runner eggs...? My issue is with the brown eggs, how can I tell if it’s a duck egg or a chicken egg? I thought my ducks would lay in a different area...they are not!

Thanks for any and all opinions! Have a great day BYC Members!

 

[PirateGirl]

The one on the far right is a duck egg. You can tell by the bloom, eggs that are coated like this will be duck eggs.

Here is an article that lists some different duck breeds and the color eggs they typically lay. Your Pekin eggs will be white and significantly larger than the chicken eggs. The brown eggs are probably all chicken eggs.

https://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2019/04/what-color-eggs-do-ducks-lay.html

You could crack each of those 4 eggs in a separate bowl and look at them side by side. As you crack the eggs typically duck eggs have a noticeably thicker shell and are harder to crack. Once you can compare them you will see that duck eggs have a much larger yolk and less white within the egg.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Your ducks have recently started to lay? - Patient, it will very soon be easy to identify the duck eggs as they will be significantly larger than the chicken eggs.

 

[ColtHandorf]

I was thinking the same thing, they are awfully small to be duck eggs. My Rouens laid large eggs. Also my ducks always laid very early in the morning. Like crack of dawn early. You should be able to determine who lays them if you go out first thing in the morning and find eggs.

 

[PirateGirl]

My KCs eggs are relatively close in size to my larger chicken eggs. Runners are quite small/light weight ducks and probably lay eggs on the smaller end of the duck egg spectrum. Pekins are huge and when you get a pekin egg it will likely be obvious.

 

[Bettyboop7499]

Your ducks have recently started to lay? - Patient, it will very soon be easy to identify the duck eggs as they will be significantly larger than the chicken eggs.

Yes, they just recently started laying. I was aware the Pekin egg would be white and assumed it would be much bigger. But, I’m not sure how big the Chocolate Runner eggs will be. Can’t really tell in the photo but the second brown egg is longer and narrower than the other brown egg..wasn’t sure if that would be an indicator?

 

[Bettyboop7499]

I was thinking the same thing, they are awfully small to be duck eggs. My Rouens laid large eggs. Also my ducks always laid very early in the morning. Like crack of dawn early. You should be able to determine who lays them if you go out first thing in the morning and find eggs.

Yes, the green/blue eggs and the second brown egg in the photo are always first thing in the morning...I thought they were laying in the middle of the night!

 

[Bettyboop7499]

My KCs eggs are relatively close in size to my larger chicken eggs. Runners are quite small/light weight ducks and probably lay eggs on the smaller end of the duck egg spectrum. Pekins are huge and when you get a pekin egg it will likely be obvious.

Thank you, my Pekin isn’t laying as of yet. My issue really is with the Chocolate Runner, I can easily tell the Blue Runner eggs as they are my only color layer, however the Chocolate lays brown eggs and she lays in the same area as my chickens...

 

[Bettyboop7499]

Could the the light brown egg be a duck egg? I know the dark one is a chicken egg. I noticed the same grayish layer on it as the blues one have...

 

[Bettyboop7499]

The one on the far right is a duck egg. You can tell by the bloom, eggs that are coated like this will be duck eggs.

Here is an article that lists some different duck breeds and the color eggs they typically lay. Your Pekin eggs will be white and significantly larger than the chicken eggs. The brown eggs are probably all chicken eggs.

https://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2019/04/what-color-eggs-do-ducks-lay.html

You could crack each of those 4 eggs in a separate bowl and look at them side by side. As you crack the eggs typically duck eggs have a noticeably thicker shell and are harder to crack. Once you can compare them you will see that duck eggs have a much larger yolk and less white within the egg.

Thank you! The article is very helpful!