Ducks molted, haven't laid since - help?

JetCityVerde

Chirping
9 Years
Mar 17, 2010
17
3
77
Rat City, Jet City, WA
My four runner ducks turned 1 year old this spring, and have been laying fairly regularly the whole time. They did a complete, death-defying molt starting the first week in September. It was our first full molt with them, they looked terrible and feathers everywhere! Last year they were still young, and they dropped feathers, but this one was epic. Beautiful new feathers came in (and our black duck is now a black and white duck) and they seemed to be pretty much back to normal by the end of the month.

However, they haven't laid an egg since early September. Not a one, that I can tell. They have some very regular spots besides their house, and otherwise there aren't a lot of places they could stash them and we wouldn't see them. Last year during the winter they laid less frequently then they did this summer, but it was consistent.

Everyone seems healthy, they get crumble and green veggies daily, plus they have the whole yard to graze in every day - bugs, worms, slugs, grass, etc. Nothing has changed in any way. We're in the Northwest, so days are short right now, but that didn't seem to bother them last year. Is this normal after a full molt or should I be concerned? I miss my eggs! :)
 
If they seem okay otherwise, yes i would go with winter, cold days, short light... i have NO ducks laying not even my Pekin who continued into November(buffs did too)

MOst are seasonal layers, my scovies usually return come Feb.. though after last winter it took till March.
 
Can anyone tell me if ducks would molt at this time of year?, I'm in can da and they have been doing well until I noticed that my one Indian runner wing feather are either broken off? Or she's lost them. All the other ducks are fine. I did notice over the last couple of weeks that they are not laying regular either hit and miss
 
A few weeks ago I had six ducks - Runners and Buffs - in some stage of molt. I am in southern New England. I keep them where it's at least 40F (about 5C) so they are okay. But if they were outside for even a few minutes they started to shiver and scrunch themselves up. So I just try to keep them warm enough, feed a little dry cat kibble for the protein, and let them get through it. They will start to lay eggs again in a month or two, I reckon.
 
Lol wow I would love to have only 5 degrees out here it goes down to minus 40 some times. My girls don't care for it then but will come out and eat drink.i don't keep food in thee housing way to messy and from what I've read / heard they can survive up to 12 hrs with out food and water. Do you know if I can use the soiled bedding I garden that has sat out over the winter?
 
Lol wow I would love to have only 5 degrees out here it goes down to minus 40 some times. My girls don't care for it then but will come out and eat drink.i don't keep food in thee housing way to messy and from what I've read / heard they can survive up to 12 hrs with out food and water. Do you know if I can use the soiled bedding I garden that has sat out over the winter?
I use it for mulch.
 

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