Duck eggs?

[tdmason]

I have a full grown male mallard and just recently purchased a female as my other had something happen to her. The gentleman I got her from said she was sitting on eggs already but he didn't have a male so they weren't fertilized. The day after I got her, I think she layed an egg. I wouldn't think it would be fertilized already. The thing is, I just got two new chickens at the same time and I have no idea what a duck egg looks like compaired to a chicken whos eggs I haven't seen yet either so I don't know who it belongs to. She hasn't sat on it or anything and layed it midday yesterday and I haven't seen anymore like that. How long does it take a duck to hatch? I am going to seperate them eventually but can't right now. Can someone tell me if it could be hers and what the main difference is between a duck and chicken egg.
Thanks!

 

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

Duck eggs are generally larger than chicken. My duck eggs have a smoother, slipperier texture (once washed), almost waxy? Hard to describe...

Not sure what color mallard eggs are (green?)...

And for me, where/when they were laid would tell me which eggs were which (if color was not a factor). Ducks lay on the ground, sometimes they can be coaxed into a duck nest, sometimes not. My ducks lay first thing in the a.m., always (99.8% of the time) before 7 a.m. Chickens will lay (generally) in nesting boxes and any old time of the day that the egg is ready! What kind of chicken did you get? Maybe we can help you out with a description of the chicken eggs? If eggs were compared to paint finishes duck would be like semi-gloss and chicken eggs would be flat or matte (shell-texture wise, not shine-wise, LOL, this is hard to describe!!).

Mallard eggs will take 28 days to hatch. I'd like to add that if the duck was sitting on eggs before you got her it will probably be double the time she sat (so if she sat for 4 days it may be another 8 days) before she begins laying again (well this is the general rule of thumb for chickens, I think it is kinda true for ducks too).

 

[tdmason]

Thanks so much! I am pretty sure that was a duck egg then because I found it just laying on the ground. Is there any partucular reason why she isn't sitting on it? I am sure it isn't fertilized right because I just put her with my male day before yesterday. I got some heinz 57 chickens so I have no idea what they are going to lay...LOL! I know the one that I have had for a while will lay a brown egg at noon, and if you take that one, she will lay a white egg after that. People think I am crazy but she was my only hen for a while so I know her routine. I haven't seen the male try to mate her so I am not sure how long it will take for them to actually produce some fertile eggs. I got him as a duckling and he has never mated before so I have no clue!

 

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

Well the move to a new home could have broken her broodiness. That would explain why she's not setting. What color was the duck egg?

 

[tdmason]

This egg was solid white and thin looking. She still hasn't laid anything else and I now have her and the male mallard seperated into their own pen so that I can keep up with them better.

 

[classroomducks]

mallard eggs are light green. And ducks have a much thicker shell than chickens. Also ducks tend to only set after they feel they enough eggs. That maybe the reason she isnt setting...but it doesnt sound like that was her egg...thin and white sounds like a chicken to me

 

[Red Maple Farms]

Mallard eggs can be various colors from light green, light blue to creamy white.

This flying mallard hen is sitting on creamy white colored eggs.

This flying mallard hen is sitting on greenish colored eggs.