Duck eggs

[Mhockeytime]

my ducks have been laying for about a month now. The problem is they always lay their eggs in the pond. They are caged but have free range 24-7. I never lock them up. They are in a 30x30 pen completely covered. Their house is always full of straw but most of the time they sleep outside. I've been throwing the eggs away because I don't think you can eat them after they have been in the water all day. Or am I wrong? I have 6 rouens 4 hens. What can I do? I would like to have the eggs. The pond is 6x10 12" deep and I change the water every other day. Any suggestions. Thanks Mike

 

[cheezenkwackers]

Since most ducks lay in the early morning hours, you might try draining the pond at night and not refilling it until late morning. I also use dummy or fake eggs placed where I want them to lay.

 

[TSOWOATNKC]

If they’ve been washed you can’t eat eggs that have been in water because it removes the protective coating and allows bacteria in. In fact one of the ways to preserve eggs for months is to put them in water in a specific manner without washing them first. If they’ve been in the water for just a few hours, and never washed it should be just fine.

https://www.incredibleegg.org/eggcyclopedia

 

[chickens really]

Hello..I would remove the pool till they get used to laying on land and not in the pool. They are young layers so still not understanding what's happening when they need to lay an egg..With Ducks fake eggs don't really work. I have found eggs in my pools, on the lawn and in water bowls.
Once they are used to laying mine all use the houses.

 

[Mhockeytime]

I’m going to try covering their pool at 5am and uncover it when I get home. Might also try the fake eggs

 

[cheezenkwackers]

I’m going to try covering their pool at 5am and uncover it when I get home. Might also try the fake eggs

My girls like a plastic dishpan filled with hay. I made an indentation in it and put in two fake eggs. It is in their coop and they do use it.

 

[Cklass90]

View attachment 1483220
My girls like a plastic dishpan filled with hay. I made an indentation in it and put in two fake eggs. It is in their coop and they do use it.

What a good idea. I've been looking at the store at all sorts of different containers but never thought about a dishbowl! Duh!

 

[Cklass90]

Is there any way to tell whether an egg is safe to eat? My first and second duck eggs, one I found on the mud around the pool. I had no idea how long it was there. Another I found in the pond, again, no idea how long it was there. I've been looking in the morning and not seen any, then I go out early evening and I find one. But I didn't think to look in the pond this morning! Will do from now on. Egg hunt sounded fun but in reality it's really annoying!

 

[Enigmius]

Are you worried about bacteria from the pond? If you cook eggs all the way through(hard boiled, scrambled, overhard), it should kill all the bacteria.

 

[Callduckmaster_12]

I had a hen that would lay eggs in my koi pond water all the time. Once she was restricted from laying in the pond she would regularly lay in a nesting box. As for eating the eggs after they have been in the water from a microbiology standpoint I would not. This is because once the protective layer of the egg is removed it’s free to be infiltrated with microbes, thus the longer the egg stays in the water the more contamination can occur. And depending on how you cook you eggs you may not kill all the bacteria. Hope this helps a little