My ducks are laying!

[lina500]

Yesterday we found two eggs in our yard for the first time. We have two female ducks, one is 20 weeks old and the other is 17.5 weeks old. I'm trying to figure out if they both started laying on the same day, or if they are both from the same duck. I assumed it was the older duck, but the egg colors are slightly different. One is greyish and the other has a distinctly blueish hue. The eggs were smaller than chicken eggs. Our ducks are mixed breed, although the younger has similar coloring to a black Swedish. I wasn't sure if a duck would lay two eggs on her first day laying and if they could be different colors. But it seems strange that they would both start laying on the same day since they are different ages. What do you think?

Here are the eggs:

And some photos of my ducks are here, the girls are the brown one and the black one with the white bib.

 

[GermanChick]

Congratulations!!! I have 5 ducks that are 17.5 weeks old. At least one of them started laying this week. I found 2 eggs on Monday but I think that they came from the same duck, just didn't see one of the eggs the day before. They were in the shavings in the coop. From your picture it would almost seem that the eggs come from two different ducks since the color is different. But first time duck owner here so I can be totally wrong ;-)

 

[Going Quackers]

Probably the same duck... that said you'll know soon enough.. i have had ducks come into lay at 4mths and my Pekin came in at 4.5-5mths but ducks are all over the map and the breed plays a role in it too.

Enjoy your eggs!

 

[lina500]

Thanks

 

[KARy408]

Huh...I'm honestly surprised by the other two responses, as I would have said no way are they from the same duck. I've never heard of two/day from a duck, and certainly not on the very first day. Although my first egg was gigantic and double yoked...so I guess there's no real standard.

 

[emmajane07]

Mine just started laying a month ago---in the very beginning she had two days where she layed two. She was also laying soft ones every other day--so I think her body was trying to get it figured out. Majority of hers are double yolkers as well. I'm assuming because she is a young duck. Soft eggs are no longer an issue.

 

[emmajane07]

I just saw your pictures of your ducks! I'm in love with the brown one with green on her wings

 

[lina500]

Well, I think both of my girls started laying on the same day. Today we found three more eggs that have been laid in the last two days, two were blueish and kept in the same place together and one is white. So I think our older one is laying the white eggs and the younger one that looks like a Black Swede but almost certainly isn't, is laying the blueish ones.

Am I right in assuming that because she laid them together in an out of the way place she's already trying to start a nest? She still acts like a sassy teenaged brat and I don't think she's ready to start a family.

Also, since I live near the equator where the sunlight is the same all year (about 12 hours a day) is there going to be an difference in egg production for the different seasons? It does get cooler in winter (think 77F) but not by much.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well, I think both of my girls started laying on the same day. Today we found three more eggs that have been laid in the last two days, two were blueish and kept in the same place together and one is white. So I think our older one is laying the white eggs and the younger one that looks like a Black Swede but almost certainly isn't, is laying the blueish ones.

Am I right in assuming that because she laid them together in an out of the way place she's already trying to start a nest? She still acts like a sassy teenaged brat and I don't think she's ready to start a family.

Also, since I live near the equator where the sunlight is the same all year (about 12 hours a day) is there going to be an difference in egg production for the different seasons? It does get cooler in winter (think 77F) but not by much.

Hey lina have you eaten any yet? eggs that is. I'm not sure about the sunlight and how it will affect their laying but alot of duck breeds lay all through the year with just short breaks in between to rest their bodies. So I'm thinking you'll have a steady supply of eggs. As far as brooding some ducks begin to build their clutch right off some will just like to have a private place to lay, if you don't feel where the one is laying is safe then take her eggs from there and mess up that area or put something over it to block her from getting to it and put her eggs inside her house you can make her her own little space by using a piece of scrap plywood or something similar and laying it against the wall and attaching it so it doesn't accidentally fall on them. They like privacy when laying. Love to see some updated pics of them.

 

[lina500]

Yes, the eggs are amazing! Although the black/white duck's eggs are still quite small. Hers are also not fertilized, so I guess all of the fight she has been putting up has worked. She was the one that had seizures when I got her, but she seems fine now. The brown duck's eggs are getting bigger, and she lays in the duck house which is handy. Hers are fertilized. She's laid three in the last three days; I didn't realize they would lay so often.

The geese are growing up, and are almost four months old. The grey one, Sopheap, is very friendly and we still aren't sure if it's a boy or a girl. He comes and stands in the doorway of our house and honks and sometimes comes right in if we don't come out and say hello.

The white one is most definitely a gander and he's started acting oddly in the last few days. Last night and today he came at us with his aggressive head, which he has never done before (only to strangers). He didn't actually attack us, but I am sure that is next. I am not sure if this is normal or what he's up to, but I don't like it.

All of them hang out together all day, which is very sweet. It's hard to get photos of the ducks because the geese are always in the way, but here they are this morning.