Fun with ducks! And a laying question

dreamofwinter

Songster
Mar 1, 2021
179
410
166
Downeast Maine
Every day is a great day with ducks. Even the ones like yesterday where you wake up to find it's 8 degrees and the crested duck has covered her head in (now frozen) mud...

I knew it wasn't hurting her, but it was encouraging the other ducks and the chickens to try to pull her feathers. The duck ladies hadn't had a good bath in several weeks anyways, and with most of winter yet to come I wanted to do something nice for them... so I recruited my kiddo and my hubby, and we each picked up a duck and carried them upstairs to the big cast iron tub. They loved their swim time (first time ever in the tub) once they got over being carried upstairs. The hardest part of it all was the carrying, since my girls are not fans of being picked up and handled. If only they could climb stairs on their own they would probably have followed me in. Oh well! And I totally forgot to get any video, darn it.

They've learned to go into the chicken coop rather than their own duck (dog) house, and seem to be enjoying sleeping in there. I suspect it's much warmer since there are 10 additional bodies. Humidity has been fine in there still (I have a monitor) and everyone seems to be happy.

My question, though, is when should I be seeing eggs from these girls? I have a White Crested, a Cayuga, and a Blue Swedish, all born June 1. No signs of eggs anywhere. I live right on the 45th parallel, so our days have been super short - hasn't affected the pullets (one week older than the ducks) but maybe ducks are more sensitive to day length? Or are they just maturing slowly?
 
I have been very fortunate. My two year old Mallards are still laying and giving me breakfast everyday. I keep looking for them to stop anytime but so far so good. It is warmer here in Ohio, more so than usual but even when we have cold nights they still are laying. Hopefully around March yours will start up as that is when I expect my young muscovy to.
 
It seems like laying can range quiet a bit from duck to duck. Some will delay laying to the spring. Others won't. Some people find they stop laying in the winter and others find they keep on laying. It is suppose to do with the amount of light they get. I had some of mine delay for a couple months to start laying at basically the shortest day of the year.
 
Wow! I haven't seen a duck egg since October. my ducks are 5.5 yrs old and 2 yrs old. When they first began to lay it was in Sept and they laid for a straight 18month. Then as they got older they stopped in the fall and didn't start back till March last year I just knew they were done for good. It was almost April before they started back. These are Runners and Buffs, I also bought 7 new chicks in the summer and only as far as I can tell only 1 is laying [Crested legbar] her sister maybe switching off with her but they are mirror images of each other so I don't know. Just hope I don't have to take the walk of shame and buy eggs this season. :oops:
 

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