laying in a nesting box

[beepbeepinajeep]

I have a mallard/runner mix duck in with one of my chicken tractors. I have noticed her in the nesting box the last few days and today we had a HUGE greenish tinted egg in the nesting box. Do ducks ever lay in a nesting box? I know I have read to expect them to just lay eggs wherever.

Thanks!

 

[Duck Keeper]

Yeah, my ducks prefer it, actually.

I just haven't gotten one up yet...

I feel bad for 'em.

 

[beepbeepinajeep]

Neat This is exciting! I have been waiting to make a pound cake with duck eggs!

 

[Duck Keeper]

OH MY WORD duck eggs are amazing!

HUGE yolks! And they make everything bake up nice and moist.

Mom thinks they ruin brownies, but it's just the crappy box-mix anyway.

 

[beepbeepinajeep]

I guess in 5 days I will find out (if she lays five days in a row).

Do you use the same amount of duck eggs as you would chicken eggs? They are bigger than chicken eggs and I wondered if maybe 4 would be as much as 5 chicken eggs.

 

[Duck Keeper]

I would say use about the same, or a little less, and then tweak it to your preference. You sound like you know what you're doing if you're going to make pound cake and stuff.

Send me some!

Since the yolks are bigger than chicken eggs, I would think you might need less of them. I don't have many this time of year, because they're molting, so no experiments for me.

 

[beepbeepinajeep]

Maybe I need to make two pound cakes for comparison I can measure how many ounces are in 5 large chicken eggs.

I see you live out in the boonies too... you can just walk on over for a piece!

Have you noticed that duck eggs are shaped a bit different than chicken eggs? It seems like the end opposite the air cell is less pointed/more blunted. I love the variety of eggs we have in our egg basket!

 

[Duck Keeper]

Boy, I'd be walking for weeks to get to you!

And now that you mention it, duck eggs do seem to be a lot more rounded don't they?

Such a neat feeling compared to wax-less chicken eggs.