Pekin Duck Eggs

[fourpekinducks]

Hello all

My ducks started laying a week ago

.

My question is....

Are they always dirty? My duck eggs need cleaning everyday. Is this normal?? I let them out at 8am.

Ta

 

[Poultrybonkers]

join the club mine are always dirty too!

 

[Miss Lydia]

My muscovies eggs are always dirty.

 

[Rosebud 18]

Always dirty.

 

[SassyKat6181]

My ducks eggs were always dirty.....i recently put a small box filled with clean shavings in their favorite corner and all 10 ducks lay their eggs in it each day. No more filthy eggs!

 

[70%cocoa]

Providing a secluded and clean nesting box is the best way to get clean eggs - plus shutting them in to the area with the nest box till about 8am until they get used to laying there. I find that my ducks don't poop in the nest (unlike the chickens

).

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

I guess it depends on where they are laying them. Mine are laying in the abandoned dog house and very clean.

 

[MysticAK]

I have a nesting box full of straw that they lay in and they tend to be cleaner, but they still are somewhat dirty.

 

[FarmrGirl]

yep. it's hit or miss when their yard is dry but 90% are dirty when it's wet outside. I've found that with deeper, fresher straw you'll have more sucess... the cleaner the straw, the cleaner the eggs. My Cayugas really like to dig dig dig down into the straw in their house until she finds some that's damp, then lays her eggs

.

I'm working on building roll out nest boxes before winter hits. I'm certain that they'll really soil the nest boxes but if I can just hose off the astroturf I'm planning to put in there, I'll be able to keep it cleaner. Plus I can keep a weeks supply cut and ready to line the boxes so that during the week I can just put fresh in daily - as they'll likely sleep in the boxes

pooping the entire time. But once the egg is laid, it'll roll into a tray and won't get all mushed around in anything gross or get any transfer muck as the other girls climb into the nest to lay.

When it's wet outside and muddy I find my chicken eggs are pretty dirty too - just from transfer as the new hens enter and step all over the eggs already laid - so I'll put a roll out on their box too. The less eggs I have to wash, the better. Should make gathering really easy too

 

[KrazyKZ08]

just give them plenty of hay to work with. when they make a nest they have to line it with something to keep the dirt off