How can my ducks not be laying?

[cluckcluckluke]

There is no possible way my ducks cannot be laying.
I have had them for 3 months now. They know where to sleep every night as they put them selves to bed. They stay in their enclosed shed until about 6:30 am. There is water in their shed so they don't get sick. They get fed on layer pellets and Layer Mash, have a pond and 2 tubs of fresh water to drink from. I will be giving them a bowl of shell grit each night so they get calcium.
They share a massive enclosure with 25 chickens but they go to bed in a different shed.
They have finally gotten used to me so they are not scared every time I enter the run.

In the day they don't go back to the nesting shed ( this is were they sleep ) after 6:30am so if they want to lay after that time they have to lay just on the ground in the run as they don't know how to go back in their or they just don't go in their.
I treat them with lettuce which they love.
We are in early Autumn but that shouldn't stop them.
When I bought them ( 3 months ago ) they were POL and one did lay for about 3 days but stopped and now I have had none.


Sorry for so much text, just skim through it and you should get it as I really want some answers for this and just cannot figure it out!

 

[jdywntr]

How old and what breed are they?

If they are eating layer (and only should be if they are very close to laying) they don't need additional calcium.

My ducks don't lay early in the morning but they return to their nests to lay. But none of my ducks are laying right now but I've had 2 hatches in the last 2 weeks.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

They are Runners and are about 9 Months old as I got them POL ( 6 months ) and have had them for 3 months.
So I shouldn't bother with the calcium?

Also if you didn't see before I'm in Australia and it is only early Autumn here so they should still be laying...It's not Winter just yet.lol.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

I would sure like some help with this problem? anyone?

I have started locking them in the nesting shed at about 9am to show them where to lay.

 

[lindisfarne]

I would agree that you should keep them in longer in the mornind..our 3 runners used to always lay in the coop, but then one day, after a period of no eggs we discovered a big stash hidden in the garden! now they sometimes lay in the coop and sometimes outside, we just do the daily egg hunt!

 

[Going Quackers]

So they are let out before 6;30AM? if so, yeah, i'd be keeping them in longer... my duck don't get out till 9 or there after... most have laid by that point but they access to their barn throughout the day if somebody is late.

Also honestly, at 9mths some can just be slow and sporadic, i realize runners are good layers better than my breed is but still at under a year, thigss are unpredictable in laying department and as said if they are not already laying i would not have them on layer.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Thanks both of you, I will just keep them in longer. Till about 8am.

1 was laying for about the 1st week I had them, then we moved the whole coop, chooks and all about 100m away, the ducks stopped laying so I thought they just got scared but it has been ages.

In my enclosed area we have a lot of long grass, I will have to have a scout around there to see if i can find any.

I really don't mind where they lay, just as long as I know there laying and can get to them.

 

[ChristineR]

Thanks both of you, I will just keep them in longer. Till about 8am.

1 was laying for about the 1st week I had them, then we moved the whole coop, chooks and all about 100m away, the ducks stopped laying so I thought they just got scared but it has been ages.

In my enclosed area we have a lot of long grass, I will have to have a scout around there to see if i can find any.

I really don't mind where they lay, just as long as I know there laying and can get to them.

I moved mine early last fall after they had just begun to lay, around five months old, and they didn't start to lay again until late this winter.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

I moved mine early last fall after they had just begun to lay, around five months old, and they didn't start to lay again until late this winter.

wow, that's a long time. I hope my come into lay earlier than that!