Greens and egg production?

[nao57]

I wondered if its possible that not having access to greens could affect egg production on ducks?

By this I mean, they have more than enough of the normal feed and calcium, but just don't have a lot of green grass in our back yard anymore (because they ate a lot of it already, stripped it down).

Could this cause egg production to drop if there's no greens?

I've been careful and tried everything else. But now this has me curious. (Although sometimes they don't seem very interested in greens when I tried giving them lettuce and cabbage bits in the past...)

Very curious what other thoughts you might have on this also.

 

[ruthhope]

I think it is more likely to be seasonal -- stopping laying in the colder months -- than a lack of greens in the diet. Duck layer feed should be complete nutrition.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Are you experiencing a drop in egg production?
A good feed is all they should need to produce.
But as days get shorter, production in all animals decreases. It has nothing to do with temperature. It is whether days are lengthening vis a vis darkness or vice versa.

 

[Aunt Angus]

If it helps, I grow fodder in my garage for the lean winter months. You can also get sprouts at the grocery store if you want to supplement greens. But their feed offers complete nutrition for them.

 

[nao57]

I've had terrible egg production all year. So that's why I asked. And I'm using lots of feed, probably feeding more than necessary.

But they aren't laying.

This makes me wonder also well if greens isn't part of it, maybe the mill is doing something weird with the feed. I've already looked at everything else.

Well thanks for replying.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

What is the mill date on the feed? You should always check that. Water soluble vitamins like all the B vitamins is quickly lost and especially if stored in less than ideal conditions like being too hot. I have frequently seen feed at a variety of outlets that was too old to feed, anywhere from 6 months to over 2 years old. I try not to feed anything over 2 months old.
For good egg production, adequate levels of amino acids must be in the digestive tract. Besides the degradation of B vitamins, essential amino acids can be lost in older feed. Vitamin B6 is essential for metabolism of amino acids.
As long as something isn't eating the eggs nor are they being hidden somewhere, old feed can easily cause a slump in production.

 

[igorsMistress]

I have a question or few….do they free range or are they locked in a run? My ducks seem to move their preferred laying spot from time to time, but always prefer to lay under a bush or shrub. Could it be your ducks laying but somewhere you haven’t found yet? Do you provide oyster shell for them? I had some left from chickens that the ducks started using so I leave it out for them.

 

[ruthhope]

Is it possible that the hatcheries could be doing something to the ducklings they sell to make them only 'pets' but not producers (eggs, etc)?

I just don't see how its possible that I could not have any eggs all year, in a clean stable happy well fed environment.

What type of ducks do you have?

I don't think hatcheries can do anything to reduce egg laying, but ducks from Tractor Supply and other feed stores are not bred to be quality layers.

That said, my son's two Pekin ducks from Tractor Supply started laying at around 14 weeks old and daily gave 2 eggs -- with one a double yolk once a week until about a week ago. We even had three eggs one morning in October. For the last week we have always had one egg but not always had two eggs. That is good luck with TSC ducklings -- as was getting 2 females out 3 ducklings

 

[nao57]

Is it possible that the hatcheries could be doing something to the ducklings they sell to make them only 'pets' but not producers (eggs, etc)?

I just don't see how its possible that I could not have any eggs all year, in a clean stable happy well fed environment.

 

[nao57]

I've got welsh harlequinns (which should produce a lot) and some black runners also. Right now neither produce...except occasionally one of the runners will drop an egg.