Duck started laying eggs

[kokoro]

Hi y'all! We're new duck parents and have been coming to this forum for support and answers since we got our 3 little nuggets back in March. We have what we believe are 3 Rouens and they are almost 5 months old. We spent the first few months trying to guess their sex but gave up about 3 months in just hoping we had at least 1 hen. Only one seems to really quack and that's just in the morning when they're waiting for me to let them out of their pen. Outside of that they are a chattery bunch and we've enjoyed getting to know their different noises.
Starting last week one of them started laying eggs. It's like Christmas every morning, she just lays one, always before I let them out in the morning, so I don't know which one it is. So my question is this, my husband thinks one of them has a belly that looks a bit lower and rounder than the other two, and he is right. Now I see it on one of the others two. Could this possibly be an indication of her being the egg layer? They are both definitely more hungry and are the two I had pegged as hens. The third doesn't seem to present any male traits, no drake feather, hasn't molted although it may be too early for that. Any thoughts are appreciated! Sorry for such a long post!

 

[Tlmcq]

If they are old enough to lay and have no drake feather. You've got 3 ducks (girls). Drake Rouen will look like male mallards only bigger...green head and lighter body almost greyish. If they are all brown and no tail curl they're girls.

 

[kokoro]

That is what I am thinking. I had heard they might not molt their feathers for another month but I'm guessing the drake feather would have appeared by now. One of the biggest reasons why we thought we had one drake is because I observed "him" mounting one of the others on the pond on several occasions about a month ago. But we had recently had some "visiting" ducks around that time. Is it possible that it was just behavior they had observed in the wild ducks?

 

[Tlmcq]

It can be a dominance thing and not strictly mating. All my boys had their Drake feathers by 14 or so weeks.

 

[Tlmcq]

Are you sure they haven't gone thru their first molt? My Cayuga and KC are just about 9 weeks and they are molting their first feathers now. You wouldn't even know they are except they look a lil ruffled at the moment.

 

[kokoro]

Wouldn't you see evidence of feathers in their pen? Either way I am resigned to the idea that we have 3 hens. Which is fine by me because I was hoping to get some eggs. So far, it seems only 1 is laying. We've had an egg a day for the last week. Don't know how long that will continue since I have read that rouens are not typically good layers. Hubby is a little disappointed because it means no fluffy little chicks But I would like to get 3 more. We left it to chance last time. Our little ladies were from our local Tractor Supply. Next time I may order them so we can be sure we can request a drake.

 

[chickens really]

Hens Quack....Drakes sound raspy and are not as loud as Hens....

 

[kokoro]

I keep reading that, but none of mine really ever quack. The only time is in the morning, one of them usually calls out if she's getting impatient about getting out of the pen. Only other time was when one of them was limping. I kept her in the pen and the other 2 ran down to the pond. Once the other 2 realized the other was missing they called to each other. Broke my heart, but she needed to rest her leg. Turned out to be nothing thank goodness and the other 2 wouldn't leave her side the next day. Other than that they make noises all the time, but rarely a quack.

 

[chickens really]

Try picking each of them up and walk away with it...A Hen will Quack really loud....