Duck or chicken eggs??

[Km122797]

In March of this year, I bought three ducklings from TSC. Then a few weeks later I went and bought six pullet chicks. (The ducks turned out to be two male mallards and one female mallard.) When my birds were around two months, I bought four one-year old ducks (all different breeds). They have been laying since I got them. My female mallard and chickens are now about four months old. Yesterday I found a small egg in the nesting box. Could it be a chicken egg? The young female mallard? Or could it be one of the one-year old ducks just laying smaller eggs?

I apologize if the story is confusing. I'm confused myself!

 

[JadeComputerGal]

In March of this year, I bought three ducklings from TSC. Then a few weeks later I went and bought six pullet chicks. (The ducks turned out to be two male mallards and one female mallard.) When my birds were around two months, I bought four one-year old ducks (all different breeds). They have been laying since I got them. My female mallard and chickens are now about four months old. Yesterday I found a small egg in the nesting box. Could it be a chicken egg? The young female mallard? Or could it be one of the one-year old ducks just laying smaller eggs?

I apologize if the story is confusing. I'm confused myself!

LOL. I think it could be any of the above, The younger birds could be starting to lay, but the sizes of the eggs we get vary even from the same birds (ducks). Our Calls have occasionally laid eggs smaller than a ping pong ball, especially when they're just starting to lay. I know that many ducks even other than Calls will lay smaller eggs or eggs with soft spots when they first start laying for the season, but I can't comment on whether that's true of chickens. My complete guess is that if your adult birds have been laying eggs that are pretty consistent in size and you get more unusually small eggs, one of the young ones has started laying.

 

[Km122797]

Thanks for the help! I am now starting to think that the egg came from a chicken because I saw one laying in the nesting box! I just hope the others join her soon