Ducks quit laying eggs?

[DuckyDonna]

Molting will often cause the duck to stop molting, because feathers are made of protien, and feathers are more important then eggs. Most serious egg producers force molt the birds once a year too keep everyone on schedule, and give them a break

how do you "force molt"?

 

[Ratchnick]

You change up their feed, let me look in the book for instructions.

 

[DuckyDonna]

You change up their feed, let me look in the book for instructions.

thanks I'd be interested to know! I won't be able to do it but I'd really like for whoever's been laying to take a break before the real laying season starts. I just don't know who out of my 6 older girls are the ones who haven't taken a break. Or, is it normal to take a break here and there? I know my Eva, who had a big problem with being egg bound last year, has not had a problem in a very long time thankfully.

 

[Ratchnick]

"Stories Guide to Raising Ducks" says a young duck will start to lay and then lay for 12 to 18 months streight. Laying that long can be hard on the duck. Besides getting a good rest from laying and new feathers, the eggs in the seccond lay cycle are bigger.

Day 1, remove extra light if you suppliment
Day 2 & 3, provide water but no food (i think free range but no pellets)
Day 4, feed free choice oats instead of pellets
Day 15, In addition to oats have seperate feeder with grower ration
Day 42, Gradualy switch back to layer ration over the following week

 

[DuckyDonna]

"Stories Guide to Raising Ducks" says a young duck will start to lay and then lay for 12 to 18 months streight. Laying that long can be hard on the duck. Besides getting a good rest from laying and new feathers, the eggs in the seccond lay cycle are bigger.

Day 1, remove extra light if you suppliment
Day 2 & 3, provide water but no food (i think free range but no pellets)
Day 4, feed free choice oats instead of pellets
Day 15, In addition to oats have seperate feeder with grower ration
Day 42, Gradualy switch back to layer ration over the following week

thank you. I'm embarrassed to say that I have that book right next to me as I type this and never thought to open it!

 

[Ratchnick]

In that case page 242.

 

[DaphneTheDuck]

Where I live in currently getting just under 13 hours of light is this enough for my female duck to begin laying?

 

[Isaac 0]

"4) Proper lighting. An increasing day length (January - June) brings sexually mature ducks into egg production and a decreasing day length (July-December) slows or stops their egg production. To prevent this from happening, natural light needs to be supplemented with artificial light in the morning and evening so the laying duck has 17 total hours of light a day. Once the birds are 20-23 weeks of age (smaller breeds at 20 weeks, larger breeds at 23 weeks) you can gradually increase the length of day using artificial light. The easiest way to do this is to have a light on a time clock. Initially add about one hour to the natural day length. Using the time clock, have the lights come on when the sun is setting and turn off in 1/2 hour. Then have the lights come on 1/2 hour before sunrise and have it shut off at sunrise. With these two 1/2 hour periods, you have increased the day one hour and this will stimulate egg production. Then every week you can add another 45 minutes (a little in the morning and a little in the evening) until you have a total of 17 hours of light. For us this means the lights are off at 9:30pm and come back on at 4:30am. This gives them seven hours of darkness which means they will have 17 hours of light. "

https://www.metzerfarms.com/MaximizingEggProduction.cfm

 

[Duckfarmer1]

Where I live in currently getting just under 13 hours of light is this enough for my female duck to begin laying?

It should be close enough...my ducks...who never laid a single egg...and we’re all at least 10 mths owls..suddenly started laying in January!! It was the craziest thing!!

 

[DaphneTheDuck]

"4) Proper lighting. An increasing day length (January - June) brings sexually mature ducks into egg production and a decreasing day length (July-December) slows or stops their egg production. To prevent this from happening, natural light needs to be supplemented with artificial light in the morning and evening so the laying duck has 17 total hours of light a day. Once the birds are 20-23 weeks of age (smaller breeds at 20 weeks, larger breeds at 23 weeks) you can gradually increase the length of day using artificial light. The easiest way to do this is to have a light on a time clock. Initially add about one hour to the natural day length. Using the time clock, have the lights come on when the sun is setting and turn off in 1/2 hour. Then have the lights come on 1/2 hour before sunrise and have it shut off at sunrise. With these two 1/2 hour periods, you have increased the day one hour and this will stimulate egg production. Then every week you can add another 45 minutes (a little in the morning and a little in the evening) until you have a total of 17 hours of light. For us this means the lights are off at 9:30pm and come back on at 4:30am. This gives them seven hours of darkness which means they will have 17 hours of light. "

https://www.metzerfarms.com/MaximizingEggProduction.cfm

My duck hasn't laid yet and we don't know her age we got her 4 months ago and she still was adult then. Why isn't she laying? (She's the smaller one)