Layer Ducks and Eggs

[Duck Lady1]

I was so surprised to start getting an egg each morning from my layer last August. I don't know why it surprised me. She is a layer duck.

I had ordered peking ducks and one of them had a pink beak and someone here told me she was probably not a peking but a layer.

I'm not a farmer or much of a country gal and I couldn't bring myself to eat my pet's egg. Still can't seem to. But every morning she looked at me with such pride, so I collected the egg up and stored it in the fridge.

A local restaurant owner got so excited about the eggs and started purchasing them from me. I was happy to have a use for the eggs, and began to appreciate that my little layer was contributing to the family household income!

And then just like that, she stopped laying eggs... about 2 weeks ago.

That led me to some questions... I wonder if you could help me with that...

1 - Why would a layer go from consistently producing an egg to stopping completely? Is she okay?

2 - I have two female ducks so of course these aren't fertilized. I want to introduce a third duck. If I get a male, what would that mean about the eggs? Will they be fertilized eggs and are those just as okay to eat? Will I have to then keep the quack house prepared for her to stay with the eggs?

 

[HappyDuckie]

Most chickens and ducks stop laying in the winter months due to less daylight hours. She is perfectly fine. Its her body taking a break.
If you introduce a male, the eggs will be fertile. There is nothing wrong with eating fertilized eggs. If your duck decides to go broody, then you may need to prepare her somewhere safe to brood her eggs.

 

[KaleIAm]

Slowing down, or stopping, egg production in the fall/winter is normal. I'm overprotective of my ducks but I don't worry at all when they stop laying when the days get shorter. Since making eggs is hard on their bodies I'm happy they are taking a break.

Is there a reason you would like a drake? I don't have one myself, because of all the complications that can happen with overmating. One of my ducks was hurt so badly by overmating before I adopted her that she has health issues over 5 years later.

Since I don't keep drakes I've never had fertilized eggs and I don't have any experience with this. But I've read that layers and pekins aren't great mothers. I've read they sometimes abandon their nest in the middle of incubating the eggs. If that happens and you don't have an incubator to put the eggs into the developing ducklings will die.

 

[Kholts]

1- completely normal to stop laying during the late fall/winter months with most ducks starting to lay again sometime in February/March. If your duck layed all last winter that can also be normal with ducks stopping their 2nd winter & every winter after.

2- if you introduce a drake the eggs will most likely be fertilized. You can eat a fertilized egg & they do not change flavour or anything. Collect daily if you want to sell them. If you want your duck to possibly go broody and hatch a nest of eggs you will most likely have to give her her own space. It is not guaranteed that your duck will go broody.

 

[Duck Lady1]

This was all so helpful! So I still have 4 eggs left in the refrigerator from 2 weeks ago. Are they still good or should I toss them. There's a local chef who wanted them.

 

[TearDucks]

Fill a glass of water, and put the egg in it. If it floats its bad. If it sinks its still good.

 

[KaleIAm]

This was all so helpful! So I still have 4 eggs left in the refrigerator from 2 weeks ago. Are they still good or should I toss them. There's a local chef who wanted them.

I consider 2 weeks old to still be quite fresh compared to grocery store eggs which can be 2 months old by the time you buy them. But if I'm ever suspicious I do the float test.