Muscovy Duck Egg Laying.

[zoofolk]

I have an indoor female Muscovy duck that just started to lay an egg a day. Will this go on for the entire year? Her appetite is off the charts and drinks water like no tomorrow. Has anyone ever tried to eat the eggs? I've cleaned them and put them straight in the fridge to keep them fresh. Any answers would be greatly appreciated.

Debbie

 

[Virus]

You can eat duck eggs, they don't taste the same as a chickens and you have to cook them differently but you can eat them. Most people use them for baking. She will either slow down laying or stop during the winter because it's cold and ducks don't need to lay eggs in winter since they won't be raising any ducklings.

 

[fourkidsandduck]

You can eat duck eggs, they don't taste the same as a chickens and you have to cook them differently but you can eat them. Most people use them for baking. She will either slow down laying or stop during the winter because it's cold and ducks don't need to lay eggs in winter since they won't be raising any ducklings.

I disagree. They taste the same as chicken eggs, they don't need to be cooked any special way. Your Muscovy will lay one egg per day, usually in the morning to equal around 15 to 25 eggs per cycle (about a month to a month in a half). Some lay year round while others do not. It depends on your climate.

 

[dotknott]

When I'm asked if duck eggs are edible my standard response is that duck eggs taste like chicken eggs only more so.

I prefer duck eggs. I like to slow scramble them and garnish with tarragon, or have a soft boiled duck egg with toast. My SO prefers his over-medium with a bialy.

The only thing you'll need to account for with duck eggs is size. My ducks smallest eggs are about the size of XL grocery store chicken eggs, so in recipes it's not a 1:1 swap. (For Easter this year I brought my aunt a quiche. She didn't believe me when I told her I only used three eggs in it. Her recipe calls for 5-6!)

As far as refrigeration goes, it's not even really necessary unless you wash the egg. I keep a clean hen house and just scrape off any stuck on pine shavings. Duck eggs have thicker shells and can last longer than chicken eggs generally, I usually recommend use within 30 days, 60 if refrigerated.

She will likely lay for a few years. At least two, though her laying will be influenced by day length. If she's an outdoor duck and you don't have any supplemental hen house lighting then expect her laying to taper down in the fall. If she's a house duck then you're likely turning on lights inside at night and she'll have exposure to the longer photoperiod which will trigger laying.

Let me know if you have any other questions and enjoy your ducks delicious eggs!

 

[zoofolk]

She is an indoor duck. I have a light on her during the day and I turn it off at night so she can rest. My husband just used her eggs to make some Amish Friends ship bread. I guess time will tell if she lays year round or not. Thanks for the help. Much appreciated.

 

[zoofolk]

But she does lay one egg a day.

 

[zoofolk]

She's an indoor duck.....so I think she will lay year round. She goes outside when we take her up north to the cabin in the summer and fall. Other then that, she has the run of the house. She wears a diaper harness.

 

[emichels]

Duck eggs are amazing. You should really try them. Also you don't need to wash them until you're about to cook with them because there is a natural protective barrier called the bloom on eggs that keeps them from spoiling. When ducks nest it may take a few weeks to lay the amount the want to hatch,so eggs need to be sitting around a while before mom starts to incubate them.

 

[zoofolk]

I wash them and put them in to the fridge as soon as she is done laying the egg. But being an indoor duck like my male Muscovy was......what a MESS now that she's laying eggs. And her poop is now really loose. She drinks water like no tomorrow and I have to clean her cage twice a day or more. I have a water bottle and bowls of water for her to drink. My male wasn't like this. I love her and wouldn't get rid of her, but is there something I should be feeding her to make her poop not so runny or is that what happens when they start laying eggs? And because she's an indoor duck.....I think she will lay an egg year round? I was thinking of getting a bigger watering bottle and fastening it to the bars of her enclosure so she can't knock it over. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[chickypoos3]

Yes duck eggs are delicious.