Egg Laying Frequency for Ducks

[KansasDan]

Hey folks,

I have two Gold Star Hybrid Ducks from Murray McMurray that are supposed to be females. They are both about 6 months old and I have begun to collect eggs. I need some insight. One of the two has a much darker head, is a bit larger, and has mounted the other at least twice. Naturally I suspect that bird to be a male. However, I was getting eggs at the rate of one per night until the last two mornings I have found two. One of the eggs is smaller and thinly coated in some manner of light brown funk. I'm wondering if a) female ducks will attempt to mate with each other and b) do ducks commonly lay more than one egg per 24 hour period?

Ultimately, I want to know if I have two hens or a drake/hen.

I appreciate any insight. Thanks.

 

[Alabama_boy]

Quote:
I would say you have two hen.

 

[DuckLady]

Do you have pics? By this age a drake will show curled tail feathers, usually three, right at the end of his tail.

Ducks of the same sex with go through the mating behavior. It is a way of showing dominance, so that won't tell you much.

Drakes also have a lower pitched 2 syllable quack and the females will have a loud unmistakable braying quack.

 

[Cara]

It is possible for a duck to lay more than one egg in a day. I occasionally got 3 or 4 eggs in a day from 2 hen ducks. I know the third was a drake as the eggs hatched.

 

[DuckLady]

Mine used to hide their eggs. LOL

 

[KansasDan]

Good point on the tail feathers. Neither bird has them nor any suggestion that they are developing. As far as vocalizations go, they are the same. I know from duck hunting that mallard drakes and hens have a much different vocalization and suspected that it might hold equally true for these hybrids. Two more eggs last night plus the insight from this board and I'm thinking I've got two females. I'll see if I can post a pic - they are rather pretty birds.

Thanks for the friendly and helpful response.