Feeding Laying Ducks- A DECISION!!

[LivinOnLove]

Hi,
We have laying ducks right now, and we are feeding them a laying pellet and cracked corn. We do not have much market or use for ALL THESE EGGS! I'm wondering if we stop feeding them the laying pellet if they would stop laying, or lay less? We are getting 5-7 a day, and can only use 1-4 a day. We are selling and/or giving them away also, but still have too many. We have the ducks for summer bugs, so I really don't want to get rid of any more than we already have. Ducklings is something to do with the eggs , but then we would have even more in the end. Sorry for the ramble with the question...Thanks!

 

[LaurelC]

Have you checked with your local food bank to see if they would like to/could take them? You could also try posting on Craigslist. Or, if you're not averse to it, allow the ducks to hatch out some eggs, then slaughter the offspring. Unless you're vegetarian, you're probably supporting some pretty inhumane meat production practices, and raising and humanely slaughtering some of your own protein is a good way to make use of them.

 

[Tevyes Dad]

You can scramble the eggs with the shells (for the calcium) and feed them back to the ducks.

 

[LivinOnLove]

We have done craigslist. We've sold some that way, but with only one returning customer once. I have scrambled them and fed them back to the ducks, but they don't eat it and it ends up molding if I leave it more than a day (yuck, and not safe for them to eat it then either). I give them to the cats too. I have not checked with our local food bank, but I'm thinking they may need to be washed/packaged in a licensed facility? Thanks for the idea; I will check that out.


Does anyone know if feeding a different pellet would decrease egg laying?

 

[NEduckgirl]

I wouldn't feed them a different type of food; it won't affect their laying habit and will only mess with the nutrition they need now. Layer feed has a certain protein content and extra calcium to help with strong eggshells. Their laying habits will likely only decrease once they start molting, when winter comes, and when they grow too old to lay.

 

[Tevyes Dad]

Sorry about that (two of my ducks are very finicky and will only eat their food/corn/meal worms - no veggies (although they are starting to show interest in romaine) no eggs nothing new - the rest eat everything.

AFAIK the main difference between layer food and non-layer food is the layer food has extra calcium for the egg shells. If you deprive the ducks of this calcium, it won't stop them from laying, but may cause them to become egg bound. A potentially fatal condition.

I would go with LaurelC and see if the food bank would take them - if they are constrained by excessive requirements (licensing etc) they probably know the route that can be taken to get the eggs to people who will use them. If that fails, you may want to check with a local zoo. They may have reptiles or small mammals that would eat the eggs.

 

[Onlyducks]

I have ducks for the same reason as you have--summer bugs. I do like duck eggs, but can only eat so many. The feed does not seem to make any difference. If mine free-range, they seem to lay more. Not sure, but it seems that way. You can freeze the eggs by breaking them open, putting them in a freezer container, piercing the yolks and adding a tsp of salt or sugar. I froze six at a time this way, thought you can do any number you want. Then I used the eggs for baked goods during the winter. The frozen eggs look kind of odd, but when mixed in the baked goods, do just fine.

 

[Going Quackers]

um, mine are not even on layer i have eggs coming out my ears

I use a grower with oyster shell, frankly, you won't stop it and if you mess to far with the diet they could become egg bound and/or deficient.

I have heard of the freezing them option...

 

[LivinOnLove]

Just like that, it all has been decided for me...

She gone broody!!




Oh dear, now what will we do? Maybe that will be decided for me too?!

 

[LaurelC]

I'm tellin ya... Duck is delicious!