One (ish) year old Indian Runners not laying eggs

[GrootHomestead]

Hello all! I have a couple questions on Indian Runners. We have 10 female and two male runners that were born may 7th of last year. We also have two female khaki cam bells that were born in March. So all told we have 12 females and two males. Our problem is that we are not getting very many eggs… last fall we started getting two a day from our khakis, with an occasional egg or two from the runners. We learned from a neighbor that it may take them a bit longer to start laying so we’ve waited patiently In February we started to see 7-9 eggs a day for a couple weeks and were so excited! However we had a couple colder days and boom no more eggs. Now it has been consistently in the upper 40s to 50s and we’re only getting two eggs again.

I should also mention that we keep them in their duck house until later in the morning to make sure they lay where we can find them!

I am wondering if anyone has any advice for use to help with production. They have access to a flooded creek to swim in, a large pen as well as free ranging. We give them waterfowl specific feed and scratch grains. They have continual access to this.

They are also incredibly nervous and flighty so we were worried our presence was stressing them out so we try not to bother them very often.

It’s just been a very frustrating experience as we’ve invested a good amount of time etc into them with not very much return. This is our first time owning ducks and we’ve sure learned a lot! But just really hoping a duck veteran may be able shed some light upon our problem!

Thank you so much!

 

[Jenbirdee]

half of my ducks lay theireggs in the afternoon
maybe you need to go searching down by the creek? sometimes they even lay them in the water.

 

[Jenbirdee]

oh also i just noticed you said “ continual access to, waterfowl feed, and scratch grains” ... cut out the scratch grains that’s very poor nutrition perhaps your ducks are eating too much of that, and not getting an adequate amount of protein and other nutrients they need from their waterfowl feed

 

[KathiQuacks]

half of my ducks lay theireggs in the afternoon
maybe you need to go searching down by the creek? sometimes they even lay them in the water.

I can attest to this!! One of my hens used to lay in the afternoon, in the water

@GrootHomestead Maybe keep them in the coop for the day, and see if the egg production suddenly “spikes.” I also agree with cutting the scratch grains, or at the very least limiting it. Do you have oyster shells / egg shells on the side?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I am wondering if anyone has any advice for use to help with production.

Hi there, welcome to BYC!

Good info from first poster. I will add that laying hormone is effected by daylight hours more than temperature. Not sure how light it is inside their area.

They are also incredibly nervous and flighty so we were worried our presence was stressing them out so we try not to bother them very often.

Well, *maybe* your lack of interaction is adding to this. You could be offering the scratch (or whatever) directly from you as a treat and enrichment so they know you're the giant that brings good things. Get them used to your voice and your (slow, deliberate) actions, even just sitting among their presence long enough for them to simmer down and get curious about you.. their not gonna "break".. Don't mistake alert prey behavior that's part of their nature as being "stressed out". That would come if it were long term actual harm.. but short term, things happen.. animals move on.. in MY experience.. if it was scary but no harm came.. there's no PTSD. Just less fear next time it happens.. Part of their enrichment if you will.. Anyways, nothing I say can ever be absolute.. but at least you may consider another possibility, IF you like.

I tried ducks but am no veteran.

 

[GrootHomestead]

oh also i just noticed you said “ continual access to, waterfowl feed, and scratch grains” ... cut out the scratch grains that’s very poor nutrition perhaps your ducks are eating too much of that, and not getting an adequate amount of protein and other nutrients they need from their waterfowl feed

Ahh ok thank you for the advice! I had read that you could add in more grain to supplement the food but alas many other things I’ve read in that book have not held true
I picked up some mealworms today as well.. is that an ok source of protein for them or should that be considered a “treat”?!

 

[GrootHomestead]

I can attest to this!! One of my hens used to lay in the afternoon, in the water

@GrootHomestead Maybe keep them in the coop for the day, and see if the egg production suddenly “spikes.” I also agree with cutting the scratch grains, or at the very least limiting it. Do you have oyster shells / egg shells on the side?

We currently don’t have oysters available to them but I did pick some up. I hadn’t had them as the shells are plenty hard, should that be available at all times even when shells are hard? I’m guessing that a mineral deficiency wouldn’t help them lay eggs though! Thank you for the advice!!

 

[Jenbirdee]

Ahh ok thank you for the advice! I had read that you could add in more grain to supplement the food but alas many other things I’ve read in that book have not held true
I picked up some mealworms today as well.. is that an ok source of protein for them or should that be considered a “treat”?!

hiya again
mealworms are a nice treat!
the general rule for best health is only 10% of their daily diet comes from treats
the other 90% a good waterfowl feed like Mazuri or a duck feed or an all flock feed.
and avoid crumbles, pellets are better for ducks

 

[KathiQuacks]

We currently don’t have oysters available to them but I did pick some up. I hadn’t had them as the shells are plenty hard, should that be available at all times even when shells are hard? I’m guessing that a mineral deficiency wouldn’t help them lay eggs though! Thank you for the advice!!

Yes, always have it out on the side. Your hens will take what they need, when they need it, and your drakes will leave it alone.

 

[GrootHomestead]

Hi there, welcome to BYC!

Good info from first poster. I will add that laying hormone is effected by daylight hours more than temperature. Not sure how light it is inside their area.


Well, *maybe* your lack of interaction is adding to this. You could be offering the scratch (or whatever) directly from you as a treat and enrichment so they know you're the giant that brings good things. Get them used to your voice and your (slow, deliberate) actions, even just sitting among their presence long enough for them to simmer down and get curious about you.. their not gonna "break".. Don't mistake alert prey behavior that's part of their nature as being "stressed out". That would come if it were long term actual harm.. but short term, things happen.. animals move on.. in MY experience.. if it was scary but no harm came.. there's no PTSD. Just less fear next time it happens.. Part of their enrichment if you will.. Anyways, nothing I say can ever be absolute.. but at least you may consider another possibility, IF you like.

I tried ducks but am no veteran.

Ahh good to know about the temperature, I was worried about that! We do have a light that we’re now going to keep on for a bit longer to help extend the “daylight”. It’s finally starting to get lighter this time of year but the days are still pretty short.

Also thank you for the advice in regards to interacting with them. They were pretty friendly as ducklings and would eat out of our hands but when they hit their teenage months they went full “imminent death mode” whenever we so much as walked within a few yards of the pen. But all that being said with it warming into spring itll be a lot easier to be outside and around them more. We will keep trying