Low egg production in Runners

[gracieracer]

I have five females, ages 1-3yo and am lucky to average 2.5 eggs a day over a week's time. They get Layena pellets. I don't recall having so few eggs before with this many females so not sure what to do to improve production.

Thoughts?

Kathy

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have five females, ages 1-3yo and am lucky to average 2.5 eggs a day over a week's time. They get Layena pellets. I don't recall having so few eggs before with this many females so not sure what to do to improve production.

Thoughts?

Kathy

I honestly don't know that much about Runners but how is your drake to duck ratio>? sometimes if it's out of kilter with too many drakes the ducks will slow way down or stop laying, Also laying season is just starting up around the country especially in the northern part so maybe they just need a few more weeks , do you offer oyster shell and other calcium related foods to help them for when they do start? Do they have a safe quite place to lay their eggs where the drakes can't hassle them?

 

[Going Quackers]

Has there been any sudden changes? like ML, zero experience with runners...

 

[gracieracer]

No changes, I have four drakes and six hens (yeah, should be less drakes or more hens, but trouts are hard to come by). The ducks all run together -- maybe I could put the males together for a few days at a time and give the hens a break?

The only extra calcium they get is eggshells (theirs). I feed the eggs to my dogs and rinse the shells for the ducks to eat.

Should I get some oyster shell? They won't eat fresh greens at all -- I've tried and they ignore them.

 

[Going Quackers]

No changes, I have four drakes and six hens (yeah, should be less drakes or more hens, but trouts are hard to come by). The ducks all run together -- maybe I could put the males together for a few days at a time and give the hens a break?

The only extra calcium they get is eggshells (theirs). I feed the eggs to my dogs and rinse the shells for the ducks to eat.

Should I get some oyster shell? They won't eat fresh greens at all -- I've tried and they ignore them.

ouch, yeah i'd be pulling some of those boys... that is probably not helping, not saying with certainty that is the cause but couldn't hurt to try it.

I use oyster shell here but my ladies are not on a layer feed, if yours are they should be getting enough, do they forage?

 

[gracieracer]

Splitting up the drakes is no problem, I can rotate them so none get too frustrated.

They do forage, but they're always bugging me for feed and usually eat it all at one time.

Thanks for the help -- I hope it works because I'd like more eggs!

 

[Amiga]

We got our first drake last October, and about then the runners stopped laying, which was normal for them to take a rest, and we have had three runner eggs in seven months.

The buffs are laying, two live with him and Romy lives with the runners. I am beginning to think it's the stress of learning to live around a drake. He was not interested in mating till around Valentine's Day, and since then he and the runners have been having a tug of war over Romy, the buff who was part of the runner flock.

So, we keep the Coffees (buff trio - new) separate most of the time from Romy and the Runners.

I am just hoping we all settle down. I cannot complain, we get more eggs than we can eat from the Buffs. Just don't have as many to share.

Keep wishing I could come up with a brilliant solution to this, but social engineering is not my forte.

 

[gracieracer]

Update on my runners. A week ago, I split up the flock and now have 1 drake and 5 hens in one pen w/lots of room.

Still getting two eggs a day out of 5 hens. That's pitiful. My 5yo bantam chickens are laying more than the ducks!

So do I now figure out who isn't laying and place them as pets? Most are 1-2 yo, one may be 3yo. This is really a mystery and the first time I've had runners that lay so few eggs.