mallard duck

[lonewolf72]

I got a pair of mallard they are about 18 week old when do they start laying.

 

[zzGypsy]

if they're true mallards, they might not lay until spring. ducks can start laying as early as 4 months, and some domestic breeds will start regardless of time of year, but real mallards are a wild breed and are seasonal layers. depending on where you live and temperatures, it's possible they'll try, but it's really too late to get a clutch laid and hatched with time to feather out before migrating, so I wouldn't expect it.

 

[lonewolf72]

thank you

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

I was wondering the same question, they are tame and I raised them from the feed store and they are starting to mate so i was wondering if I would find eggs along the pond any time soon. My pekins are starting to mate also so again I am keeping my eyes open.

 

[zzGypsy]

I don't handle my birds as pets, only enough so that they're not having heart attacks if I have to doctor one, so I've never had mallards that tamed down. if you handle them and hand feed, they can become tame... and some will stay year round.
you do run the risk with real mallards that they'll fly off to other areas, or try to migrate, if you don't contain them or clip a wing.

rouens, on the other hand, which have the same color pattern as mallards, but are the size of pekins, are a domestic breed and don't fly well, don't migrate, and might lay year round. I've had some that did, and some that didn't, but I don't think I've had any start laying after we got out of summer weather.

if you bought ducklings at the feed store, they're more likely to be rouens than mallards, but the size of the bird will tell you for sure... mallards are quite small, rouens are one of the larger domestic breeds.