Help Please...My Ducks are not laying yet and haven't at all :-(

[beaches4me]

I got my ducks throughout this summer. I have 5 pekins, 3 female and one male, I have one female rouen, one bigger mallard and 5 smaller mallards, two of those are males. None of my ducks have even began to start laying yet. The pekins and smaller mallards are 32 weeks old, the rouen is over a year old (we got her as an adoptee) and mally, our bigger mallard, is supposed to be right at a year old too, from what we were told. I have seen the pekins start their mating rituals and even one of the males trying to mate with the females, multiple times, but still no eggs. We make sure to give them a feed with at least 16% protein, give them treats as often as we can and fresh water every day and refill their pool multiple times a day as needed. They love eating from my hands when it is a treat they like and will bombard me if it is lol! But, again, they are still not laying. I just don't know what to figure what is going on and my husband is getting frustrated that we are feeding them but we have yet to see any eggs :-( Any and all help and advice would be so very GREATLY appreciated!! Thank you in advance!!
Margo

 

[ChicagoDucks]

I got my ducks throughout this summer. I have 5 pekins, 3 female and one male, I have one female rouen, one bigger mallard and 5 smaller mallards, two of those are males. None of my ducks have even began to start laying yet. The pekins and smaller mallards are 32 weeks old, the rouen is over a year old (we got her as an adoptee) and mally, our bigger mallard, is supposed to be right at a year old too, from what we were told. I have seen the pekins start their mating rituals and even one of the males trying to mate with the females, multiple times, but still no eggs. We make sure to give them a feed with at least 16% protein, give them treats as often as we can and fresh water every day and refill their pool multiple times a day as needed. They love eating from my hands when it is a treat they like and will bombard me if it is lol! But, again, they are still not laying. I just don't know what to figure what is going on and my husband is getting frustrated that we are feeding them but we have yet to see any eggs :-( Any and all help and advice would be so very GREATLY appreciated!! Thank you in advance!!
Margo

First off:

It can be tough to wait for those first eggs. My Rouens don't start to lay eggs until around February or March. When they do, though, they are fantastic, big blue-green eggs.

Your duck breeds aren't known as prolific layers, the Rouens and Pekins are seasonal layers who are going to lay around 5 to 6 eggs a week from maybe March to June. I've never had Mallards, but I understand that they don't lay eggs for much more than a month each year.

Ducks will stop laying eggs if they are stressed or if there is a big change in their lives. Depending on age and other things, your Rouen may have stopped laying when she was re-homed.

When your ducks do start to lay eggs, they are going to need additional calcium. Free choice oyster shell works well.

 

[beaches4me]

Thank you ChicagoDucks!! Your information is so very helpful and will help me with talking to my hubby for sure about what is going on. The rouen eggs sound absolutely beautiful and I can't wait to see them when she starts laying again I will make sure to start stocking up on some of that oyster shell supplement and maybe giving them some now to see if it makes for even more happy ducks lol! They are very loud when they know my husband and I have walked outside. They turn their heads sideways and listen for us to talk and once they do, they start talking to us lol!! So cute!! Love our ducks!

 

[ChicagoDucks]

Thank you ChicagoDucks!! Your information is so very helpful and will help me with talking to my hubby for sure about what is going on. The rouen eggs sound absolutely beautiful and I can't wait to see them when she starts laying again I will make sure to start stocking up on some of that oyster shell supplement and maybe giving them some now to see if it makes for even more happy ducks lol! They are very loud when they know my husband and I have walked outside. They turn their heads sideways and listen for us to talk and once they do, they start talking to us lol!! So cute!! Love our ducks!

Aw shucks. Happy to help. That's what the forum is for!!! Enjoy those ducks!