Pekin Duck Club!

[Anna6]

Hi, I'm a new member although I've been searching this sight for about a year.
I've had chickens for about 2 years, but no roos, so I only collect the eggs.

5 months ago I got a few ducks. 2 drakes and 1 hen. She recently started laying, I believe the eggs are fertile and I've read that Pekins are not broody. So should I take the eggs out and incubate them? They are turning brown, but they could just be getting dirty.
The first few eggs where about the size of chicken eggs, the last 3 are about twice the size. Is that normal? And could these be fertile too?

Thanks!!

Hi!
We have a trio too but we believe it is one male and two females. You are right Pekins are not good brooders. Take the eggs and incubate them if you want ducklings, either under a broody hen or incubator. I have heard the eggs are also good to eat. My guess is that the smaller eggs are not very fertile if it is anything like with chickens.

 

[Quack Quack]

I would like to be added to the Pekin Duck Club!
I have two ducks, Daisy and Donald.
This is my drake Donald

 

[waynec1955]

Hi, I'm a new member although I've been searching this sight for about a year.
I've had chickens for about 2 years, but no roos, so I only collect the eggs.

5 months ago I got a few ducks. 2 drakes and 1 hen. She recently started laying, I believe the eggs are fertile and I've read that Pekins are not broody. So should I take the eggs out and incubate them? They are turning brown, but they could just be getting dirty.
The first few eggs where about the size of chicken eggs, the last 3 are about twice the size. Is that normal? And could these be fertile too?

Thanks!!

It's not unusual for some of the first eggs to be under sized. Don't incubate the small or misshaped eggs. It takes 28 days to incubate Pekins eggs. Your hen will soon have all the feathers pulled from the back of her neck if not already. We eat and cook with our duck eggs that we don't incubate. I have left eggs in the nest for up to two weeks and they still incubate fine.

 

[CWranglers]

Thank you.
I'm off to incubate!

 

[CWranglers]

Thank you.
Just so I got this right. I can take an egg and cook/eat it as long as it has not been incubated (fertile or not)?

Can I mark the eggs and put them in with my chickens to see if one of them will sit on them?

Thanks again.

 

[CWranglers]

Found it!
Thanks

 

[waynec1955]

Thank you.
Just so I got this right. I can take an egg and cook/eat it as long as it has not been incubated (fertile or not)?

Can I mark the eggs and put them in with my chickens to see if one of them will sit on them?

Thanks again.

Yes, you can cook/eat. If your not sure how old the egg is, put it in water to see if it floats. If it floats it is not good. When I incubate my eggs, I candle them on day 8. Any that are not fertile I cook and feed to our dogs and chickens. Do not put the eggs you intend to incubate in water. Since our duck eggs are often muddy, I try to use the cleanest and wipe them off with a paper towel. I mark the date on my eggs when I collect them. I store them pointed end down in a carton and rotate them once a day until I incubate. Remember that chicken eggs hatch a week earlier than duck eggs, so you can't mix them under a hen.

 

[christinagaile]

Trying to figure out what type of ducks I have I think pekin mallard and Swedish blue I'm a first time duck owner and guessing based off online duck searching lol

 

[Kelsykin]

Looks to me like a Pekin, Mallard or Rouen and I am not sure of the one in the back. I have Rouens and they look like Mallards just larger.

 

[Jnkbtd08]

lol, beautiful ducks! I have Donald, Daisy, Darla, and Daffy