- Nov 16, 2015
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I have a khaki Campbell x duck who is in a run with her 10 ducklings who are not yet 3 weeks old.
Tonight I found 5 eggs in the nest box. I put fresh hay in there daily and im pretty sure I put hay in yesterday, but if I did forget to, 100% sure I put fresh hay in the day before that and I have not seen any eggs.
The duck and ducklings have been confined to the cage since the ducklings hatched. No other adult ducks can get in there.
The eggs are not unhatched ones I know this as
1: I cleaned everything out after hatching, plus all the eggs she was sitting on hatched, there were no non hatchets,
and 2: I candled and these are obviously fresh eggs.
All are normal with normal shell and a yolk.
I've never heard of a duck laying so soon after hatching ducklings (she is still caring for the ducklings as any normal duck would). It's currently almost winter here and there is a light on 24/7 in the housing area of the run to provide heat for her 10 ducklings, however I've used this setup countless times before
I don't know her age or laying history as she was given to me by people who had been feeding her after a neighbour dumped them on his property and left them there with no food, shelter etc.
it's almost winter here so daylight hrs are quite short, however there is a light On in the housing to provide heat for the 10 ducklings. However I've used that setup countless times before and never ever had a duck go back into lay until the ducklings were at least 10-12 weeks old.
I don't understand how on earth she could have started laying so soon, much less lay 5 eggs in 2 days! But I am absolutely certain no other duck has access to the house and run she is in, which is an expensive professionally built one and completely covered with small diameter netting and solid roof/walls etc.
I'm baffled...any thoughts?
Am also concerned for her health if she is laying so profusely and unexpectedly. Is there any sort of hormonal disorder that might cause this? Has anyone come across either ducks laying 2 or more eggs more than one day in a row, or ducks laying with young ducklings they are still raising?
Tonight I found 5 eggs in the nest box. I put fresh hay in there daily and im pretty sure I put hay in yesterday, but if I did forget to, 100% sure I put fresh hay in the day before that and I have not seen any eggs.
The duck and ducklings have been confined to the cage since the ducklings hatched. No other adult ducks can get in there.
The eggs are not unhatched ones I know this as
1: I cleaned everything out after hatching, plus all the eggs she was sitting on hatched, there were no non hatchets,
and 2: I candled and these are obviously fresh eggs.
All are normal with normal shell and a yolk.
I've never heard of a duck laying so soon after hatching ducklings (she is still caring for the ducklings as any normal duck would). It's currently almost winter here and there is a light on 24/7 in the housing area of the run to provide heat for her 10 ducklings, however I've used this setup countless times before
I don't know her age or laying history as she was given to me by people who had been feeding her after a neighbour dumped them on his property and left them there with no food, shelter etc.
it's almost winter here so daylight hrs are quite short, however there is a light On in the housing to provide heat for the 10 ducklings. However I've used that setup countless times before and never ever had a duck go back into lay until the ducklings were at least 10-12 weeks old.
I don't understand how on earth she could have started laying so soon, much less lay 5 eggs in 2 days! But I am absolutely certain no other duck has access to the house and run she is in, which is an expensive professionally built one and completely covered with small diameter netting and solid roof/walls etc.
I'm baffled...any thoughts?
Am also concerned for her health if she is laying so profusely and unexpectedly. Is there any sort of hormonal disorder that might cause this? Has anyone come across either ducks laying 2 or more eggs more than one day in a row, or ducks laying with young ducklings they are still raising?
