Hello All, I currently have six female khaki campbells and I was just offered a free drake if I wanted it. I really do want to take it. I would love to have ducklings but I barely get enough money from the eggs to pay for feed as it is. I am worried that if I let one of my ducks go broody, I would lose money on her eggs. How long do you think she would stop laying? How many ducklings do you think would hatch? Thanks, Paul
Well, she'd stop laying eggs for the time she's sitting, so around 30 days, and she wouldn't start laying again for a bit after the ducklings hatch. How many hatch will depend on how many she decides to sit on or if you stick extra eggs under her and how many get kicked out, broken, stop developing or just plain don't hatch for whatever reason.
I'd say the potential for you is greater with a drake if you're looking to sell. I don't sell my duck eggs for eating, only for hatching. At $3/ea I can sell eggs for $18/half doz instead of a few dollars a dozen. I can also sell day old chicks for $10/ea. Yes, the drake may come with the potential for a duck going broody, but I think that there's more you'll be able to get in return than just another feed hog.
