Eggs at 3 months!

[IndyGail]

Should I be worried. I got two female pekin ducks on June 10th 2020. They are already laying eggs. I thought 6 months was the norm. I found something in the pen that looked like a deflated egg on day two. So far I have two perfectly formed eggs. They are the same size as chicken eggs. These girls are Jumbo Pekin. Obviously I'm not experienced. Im just going on what I read. Anyone have Pekin duck egg experience?

 

[Ratchnick]

Could they be older then you think? Don't forget the oyster shell.

 

[IndyGail]

Could they be older then you think? Don't forget the oyster shell.

I purchased them from Metzer Farm. They state they ship the date of hatching. Pearl was still wearing part of her umbilical cord on arrival
. They were just a few days old. how much oyster shell? I don't want to hurt her kidneys.

 

[Ratchnick]

Just put out a bowl of it, they well self regulate, if you have just hens you can use layer food. I would ask metzer, they will know what's normal for their strains of pekin

 

[sierraforest]

Everything I've read, including in published books, says the rough expectation for laying eggs is as early as 17 weeks but that it can depend. One of our ducks laid one deflated looking egg and I've read that it's not uncommon. Definitely always offer oyster shell as suggested above—our girls eat it when they want and ignore it when they don't. Check out a note I posted about this in case the responses are helpful: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/egg-laying-issue.1379418/#post-22664732.

 

[IndyGail]

Just put out a bowl of it, they well self regulate, if you have just hens you can use layer food. I would ask metzer, they will know what's normal for their strains of pekin

Great advise. Thank you.

 

[IndyGail]

Is it OK to eat the first few eggs. I notice now on Day 3 the eggs are bigger. When I cracked open Day Two egg, it was thick, Yolk was nice and orange, the white was very clear and thick. it wanted to stick onto the inner shell. It could be that I am just no use to eggs this fresh.

 

[IndyGail]

Everything I've read, including in published books, says the rough expectation for laying eggs is as early as 17 weeks but that it can depend. One of our ducks laid one deflated looking egg and I've read that it's not uncommon. Definitely always offer oyster shell as suggested above—our girls eat it when they want and ignore it when they don't. Check out a note I posted about this in case the responses are helpful: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/egg-laying-issue.1379418/#post-22664732.

Thanks for the information.

 

[Ratchnick]

Is it OK to eat the first few eggs. I notice now on Day 3 the eggs are bigger. When I cracked open Day Two egg, it was thick, Yolk was nice and orange, the white was very clear and thick. it wanted to stick onto the inner shell. It could be that I am just no use to eggs this fresh.

Yes Duck eggs are like that.