Many questions about duck eggs!

[karmlacres]

We're about finished with a chicken coop and pen out on our farm. We've been keeping the birds in our backyard. Almost a year now and no one has complained about the roo starting his racket at 5;30 in the morning! Immediate neighbors grew up on farms and have told us they enjoy him. Anyways, we hope to move all birds out to the farm where there is also a pond and a creek. And cows and lots of predators

We have on our list of projects a floating duck house so they have someplace to go for safety if need be. The only things that will be able to get them in the middle of the pond would be the cows.

We were super happy - when we had a break in the cold weather and wetness, we went out to the farm. We initially found 5 Canada geese at the pond! Next trip, I saw two -- but the kids and puppies got to the pond before me, so there may have been more.

 

[ams828]

I haven't been able to find duck eggs in months! We have a 1 year old Pekin hen and two 8 month old Magpie hens, plus two Magpie drakes. The Pekin was laying regularly around the yard and I could easily spot the nests and collect the eggs until a few months ago. In spite of diligent searches, I haven't found a single egg. There have been a couple "soft shell" eggs, which I assumed came from the young hens. Question: could the Pekin have stopped laying for the winter? Will the young Magpies wait for longer days before they start laying? What do you think?

 

[Taylor]

now the egg isn't fertile unless you have a drake with them. i would collect all the eggs i could get and hatch them in an incubator so i could keep getting eggs from her, i have found that if you let a duck hatch her own eggs it takes her forever to lay gaian, it took mine 1 1/2 years to start back up again! mine lay everyday, even w/o artificial light! i have mine under a broody chicken