egg question **pictures added***who laid which?

[kylee2katie]

I didn't have time to get pics this morning but will post them tomorrow. I have a female pekin who has been laying consistently since August. The past two mornings, I have found 3 eggs in the nest box. One is the same as all the other pekin eggs, one is the same size but darker in color, and the third is the same darker color but only about 1 1/2 inches long. I have two muskovy and two mallard hens. Does anyone have pictures of muskovy and mallard eggs?

The pekin is 7 months old and the others are 5 1/2 months old.

 

[katharinad]

The Pekin should lay white eggs, the mallards can be greenish or darker, not sure about the muscovy.

 

[kylee2katie]

is it "safe" to assume that my mallard is laying the "itty bitty" egg? other than the size, it is perfect.
We just had our first cold spell, it got down to 32 a couple of nights in a row, time changed and now we only have about 10 1/2 hours of day light. I didn't think the skovy or mallards would lay until spring - what a great suprise!! do you think they will continue to lay or will this be short lived until spring?

I use my pekin eggs in everything - but what about muskovy and mallard eggs?

 

[katharinad]

Eggs are eggs. Use them. I personally have a light bulb on a timer for my ducks so they continue to lay. It comes on a 4am and turns of with daylight. I don't give them light in the evening. For some reason they don't like it and wont go into the duck house if it is on in the evening.

 

[kylee2katie]

ok, for 5 days now I've had a strange assortment of eggs - the larger white ones are from my pekin - who is laying the others? the large dark one is the only one of that size and color - but I have been getting one large white and one itty bitty dark one every day now.
the large ones are about 3 to 3 1/2 inches long and the small ones are 1 to 1 1/2 inches long. I have a mallard hen and a muskovy hen, along with the pekin. any thoughts?

 

[Blondiega1]

Quote:
Just looks like breakfast to me!

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

I have Muscovies. Just started laying again. I don't believe I actually went in and measured and weighed one, (the others are outside, they are building a nest). 2.25 inches and 2.5 oz. Like your darkish one. It will get lighter and a little bigger though as they continue to lay. Each season will be a little bigger to. Their seasons last around 30-40 eggs or so then they take a break. So the next season's egg will be a bit bigger.

I do have one laying though what I swore was a chicken egg. I thought a chicken was somehow getting into the duck house, it looked almost pinkish and not quite waxy smooth. But no, when I opened it, it certainly was a duck egg.

edited to add: make sure you are giving them extra calcium. My scovies hit the oyster shell bowl, daily. They should lay an egg everyday until they take a break. If not, they need more calcium.

 

[kylee2katie]

Quote:
Thanks for the information - I feed them layer pellets with free choice oyster shell but none of them seem to like it much. They free range all day and of course get plenty of treats - I alternate between greens, frozen peas, and night crawlers. Occasionally they get plain boiled spaghetti noodles! They don't really care for grapes or watemellon. I bought a bag of cockatiel treat mix - it has bird seed, sunflower seeds, cracked corn, etc and full of vitamins. I mix a cup in with the layer pellets. They seem to like it!

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

I add dried crushed egg shell to the oyster shell, they'll go for it when they need it.

I give my ducks feed in one bowl and in another Scratch mixed with BOSS. Free choice. I notice they take turns on the bowls. One day they kit the feed hard and the next the scratch mix, but they eat from both each day. It also helps in that their droppings are a little more firm and easier to scoop up.

Ya, mine get greens almost daily, everyday in winter when the pickings are slim for them. Pea soup when very young daily then sometimes for a treat. Cantalope is the preferred melon. I peal the rind leaving a little layer of Orange, we eat the chunks and they and the chickens fight over the rind with a few chunks thrown in for good measure.

DH always treats the Drake of the year to Apple slice chunks. It's a guy thing, I am told. They love apples, they keep hoping we'll trip and bruise the apples, so they get them. I give them the Carrot pulp from juicing or peelings, but needs to be chopped up. Celery trimmings. Etc.