Early Mallard Eggs

[jgell]

It has been a warm winter here in south eastern PA and I think it has thrown off some biologic duck clocks. I put out my duck boxes last weekend because the weather was so nice and I had been seeing some extra wood ducks and mallards on the pond. I have two pair of each which are permanent residents. Yesterday I found two eggs in the mallard box that had been visited by my anconas. I figured they might be ancona eggs but a third egg appeared while the anconas were penned up. The irony of the situation is that last night was one of the coolest of the winter with temperatures in the teens. Will that destroy the viability of the eggs? Will that change her mind about laying eggs? Temperature will be back into the 50's by mid-week. Is mid-February really strange for mallards to start laying? This time last year there was 6 inches of ice on most of the pond. This is only my 2nd breeding season with these guys so I'm not sure what is considered "normal".

 

[Kevin565]

It's normal my mallards have also begun laying right now. I don't believe it will destroy viability and I doubt she will change her mind.