Duck eggs

[PirateGirl]

You can mark them so you know which ones are older and which are newer if you don't want her to hatch so many, and then once she stops laying and starts sitting you can remove a few.

I don't think removing the eggs will impact if she does or doesn't keep laying. I remove my duck eggs every single day and they lay me new eggs the next day. They are however slowing down for winter already Today I got two eggs from my spring ducklings (just started laying this past week) and zero eggs from the older girls who were giving me eggs all summer.

 

[Muffinstuff]

If she is still laying eggs she will not sit on them. When the broody hormones kick in the duck will stop laying completely. I agree with @chickens really that you should remove them and she probably won't go broody at this point. I'm not sure where you are located, but if you live where fall is approaching and the days are getting shorter and not longer, it's also less likely she'll go broody.

 

[Muffinstuff]

Thanks for the info.. Remove 11 of the 21 eggs and the next day there was 12. 4 days later there was 16. Removed all yesterday and today there is one new egg. Never sat at all.. I watched her and the drake in the pond mating but I don't know when she will stop if she's not Broody, Its getting cooler in west teas so should I wait until spring???

 

[PirateGirl]

I'm not sure what you mean "when she will stop" if she's not broody. Domestic ducks were bred for meat and eggs like domestic chickens. They keep laying, roughly an egg a day whether they want to go broody and hatch chicks/ducklings or not. There are times production slows down, but they don't just stop because they aren't broody. They may stop laying while molting because protein goes to feather production. They may slow or stop laying during winter depending on breed and age and how short the days get where you live (and whether or not you supply supplemental lighting). I just collected 8 eggs from 5 ducks in 2 and a half days (it was early this morning so there's a chance they will still lay today)... So not every duck laid an egg every day or I'd have at least 10 eggs, but they are still laying regularly even though it's not breeding season. I have one duck that is clearly molting, so she's probably the one that didn't lay. Also mating doesn't mean the female will be broody. The drake will mate all the girls all the time whether they want to mate him or not, whether they want to go broody and hatch ducklings or not, whether it's spring or winter or morning or night...

It's up to you whether you want to try and hatch and raise ducklings over winter, but if your mama doesn't want to go broody, your best bet is going to be an incubator and brooder, just think it out, approximately 1 month until hatch from when you start and approximately 2 months after that and the ducklings would be feathered and grown and ready to be outdoors in cold temps, so 3 months from the time you start the process... is that a time of year you want to have ducklings? Would you be able to keep them in your house all that time until they are ready to be in colder temps? Even if a broody hatches them, what if she's not a good mom and you have to take the ducklings and raise them in a brooder inside because it's too cold outside? Are you ok with that? It's up to you and your flock goals. I'm just offering a few things to think about.

 

[Abraeri]

I'm not sure what you mean "when she will stop" if she's not broody. Domestic ducks were bred for meat and eggs like domestic chickens.

I do not think Mallards lay all year... they only lay 60 - 100 eggs in an year.

I would think she would be laying the most in the spring though...