Duck Friends Please Read!! Expressing my EXCITEMENT!!

[QuackerJackFarms]

OMG People!!! I just went out to let the ducks out for the day and I found AN EGG sitting there in the front of the cage! I was like, "?"... They are supposed to be Mallards (bought from TCS they were labeled as Rouens but then they flew over my house so....?) A bunch of duck people told me they look like mallards so I went with that, but always wondered.

Now I'm wondering AGAIN. Because I thought mallards were seasonal layers. I wasn't looking for eggs until next spring!?

So upon further investigation I found another egg in the "duck house" (converted dog house) and an entire CLUTCH of eggs on the side of the house. (which is a totally stupid place to lay eggs... just sayin'... )

What do you all think of this? Mallards vs Rouens, eggs in the fall and not the spring... AH! I'm so EXCITED!!! Okay, I'm taking pics right now to post... Can you tell from an egg what the breed is? They are blue in color.

Also, thoughts on incubator or seeing if a hen takes on a set??

I'll be right back with pics!!

Also, someone tell me how to check for fertility. I've heard you can candle them. My ratio is one drake 2 hens and the male prefers only ONE of the hens. If both hens are laying (which I have NO IDEA) then some might not be fertile.

I feel so stupid for missing this, but I wasn't even looking for eggs!! And they are hidden pretty good too in the corner. When I showed my husband he looked right at them and said.. "I don't see anything." I was like, "Right there! Eggs!" he says, "where?" (He was looking RIGHT at them.) There's probably 15-20 eggs. I'm going to go count and take pics!

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

Quote:
fertile eggs will have a.little circle on top of the yolk. But you need to crack them open. Im wait for pics! I have a rouen and she lays blueisg white eggs. Post a pic of the ducks too, I will be able to tell.

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

Thanks! Here's pic number one. I have more coming. My husband has to help me because of where they laid them, I can't reach them without help lifting the actual cage. Some of them are blueish and some look more white. But that could be the sun. Hang tight, I'll be right back!! (Again... SO EXCITED!!)

 

[Amiga]

Well, congratulations!!!

I am not a mallard expert, but I do know from my runners (whose ancestors were mallards) that they don't always follow the book

From what I have read here, candling is the way to go to see which ones are fertile - and viable (likely to hatch).

Mallards and their progeny, again according to what I read, and also the colors my runners lay (shades of green and tan), can lay tannish, bluish or greenish eggs. Actually, Sieben's eggs are a kind of blue-green.

So, wow! I recall the day one of my runners laid the first egg. I felt like my child had just graduated from Harvard Summa Cum Laude! I was SO PROUD OF HER!

I'm still extremely grateful for every egg laid.

Hoorah for your ducks, and may everything work out well.

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

Thanks Amiga!! I am sooooo excited!

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

Here's a start. Some of them are more blue, their sizes very too. Some of them are oblong and a couple are more round. Man I wish I knew if both females are laying.

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

My next round of questions are this:

How long do I give the female to go broody?
How do I candle for fertility?
Is it possible these are Rouens after all?

I'll be searching the forum for some answers too!

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

Sorry, but they are mallards

but if there mallards they have a much better chance of going broody.

 

[bayyjayy]

I LOVE your excitement. I could totally hear it and see it in my head when you were explaining how your hubby couldn't see the eggs! It is SO exciting to find eggs. I miss that funny feeling in my tummy each morning when I go look to see if she laid. I am still way excited when I see two eggs, and a bit disappointed when there is only one, and don't EVEN want to talk about when there isn't even one!

Congrats. Keep us updated. I am excited for you!

 

[mommyofthreewithchicks]

Those look like mallards to me. As I am figuring out some times the guidelines for what a breed will do or won't do doesn't reach the individual duck

I would give her two weeks to go broody as this spring I gave my WH a week then collected 30 eggs. Well after another week guess who went broody! So then I was really silly and let them set while a few others were "helping" by giving more eggs and thus I had 6 sitting on 30 more eggs! Not recommended as I ended up with 30 ducklings. They were cute but there was a LOT of ducklings.

For fertility you would either have to incubate or let her sit for a week or two and then candle or... Crack one open and spot the bulleye. If you want babies I would let her sit/incubate as most of the time you will have a dud and it is nice to let them all have a chance.


Good luck! Eggs are always eggciting!