Getting a mating pair of Appleyard ducks

[DuckNoobie]

Hey Guys!

So I'm new to duck ownership and I'm looking to pick up a pair of Appleyard ducks (not ducklings) as pets. The area I live in doesn't have many people that sell those types of ducks but I found a farm that does (yay!), however they ONLY sell them in mating pairs! Originally I was looking for strictly 2 female ducks (I can't have more than 2) and became comfortable with the idea that they may lay eggs from the farm that they are coming from.

Now that I found out that I HAVE to get a drake along with my female duck I'm worried that all they'll be doing is mating all the time and I'm not comfortable with the idea of eating "those" types of eggs. The duck farmer told me that they only really mate in the spring, is that true? Like I mentioned earlier I'm not comfortable with eating the eggs with potential ducklings floating inside...how long after the ducks mate will eggs become just regular eggs without potential ducklings? Is there any way to discourage them from mating and just be friends?

Thank you for your thoughts and ideas,

 

[Tevyes Dad]

Fertilized eggs cook and taste just like non-fertilized eggs.

Most "farmers" eat fertilized eggs and chances are if you get farm eggs you have eaten them too. It sounds like you are concerned about partially incubated eggs. The normal process with ducks (and chickens) is they lay one egg per day. They do this until they have what they consider to be a good clutch. Then they sit on them.

At this point, there is not much difference between the egg that was laid first and the egg that was laid last (maybe a little less moisture content, but that is about it) and this is often at least a week (that would be a 7 egg clutch). This is why all the eggs hatch at more or less the same time. Once they sit on them, the temperature inside the egg rises but it is not just the temperature rise that triggers the eggs development, it is the constant temperature otherwise the first 100 degree day would start all the eggs in the area even if momma was nowhere around. It takes a few days of this high constant temperature before the egg begins development (when you incubate eggs, the first candling looking for good vs bad eggs is at 7 days.) The reason I am telling you this is then you know if you find an egg in the lawn, it hasn't been incubating. If you find an egg under the duck that wasn't there yesterday, it hasn't been incubating. In short if you collect eggs every day, it won't matter if they were fertilized or not... they are just eggs. If you go away for a week then pull out all the eggs under your pet duck, then you might have reason for concern. So... mate they will. You should only be concerned if the drake becomes too aggressive and starts to injure the duck. With no competing drake around, it is likely this will never be a problem. Enjoy your eggs worry free.