HELP NEEDED (laying eggs)

[emixxx]

Hi everyone, as im new to keeping ducks can anyone tell me are there any signs of when your young duck will start to lay her first eggs. I would also like to know when your young drake gets his curly tail feather, does this mean anything other than hes a drake? thanks

 

[Amiga]

My runners started displaying breeding behavior four to six weeks before the first one started laying. They would flatten out, jump on top of each other. There was also a milky white discharge from their vents.

At that time I began to offer them crushed oyster shell free choice once a week.

How are they, by the way?

 

[WestKnollAmy]

My boys got the curly tail feather around 5 months old and the girls constantly bob the heads at each other and the boys since about 4 1/2 months old. I am starting to get some eggs now at 6 months old but only keep them up in the pen till lunch time and then let them out to roam the farm so there may be eggs all over that I haven't found.
Don't let anyone tell you ducks don't lay after noon. I have found duck eggs in the duck coop after cleaning at 3 pm so I know they lay later in the day. But still, I hate to keep them up all the time when they roam the whole farm in no time. they are much better foragers than my chickens and eat less grain when I can let them out to get thier own "free" food.

I just try to keep the girls up as long as possible but they are now flying over the fence. The ones that are not flying over are probably the ones that need to lay.

 

[emixxx]

Quote:
Mine are doing well and my female has already started to bob her head up and down when the male is next to her, she also 'crouches' if thats what you call it when they lay there head flat out and open half there wings. The male is getting his curly tail feather. Thanks