Pekin Duck Layed 3 Eggs??

[upstatePekin]

Hi Everyone,

I went out this morning to change our Pekin Ducks water and food and found "3" eggs in her nest?? Is this a 'normal' situation to have three eggs layed in one morning. There was "1" egg yesterday morning.

A little about her: Marshmallow is just shy of 10 months old. She is on layer feed and has been for a long time now. She is allowed in her fenced in area, to graze to her hearts content while we are in the backyard, daily, amount of time varies, depending on how long we are outside, we don't like to leave her alone in the penned area, for too long of a time, due to ferral cats or other predators that might come along into the area.

Any information regarding the "three egg morning" would be appreciated

 

[Dances with Ducks]

Just a thought, what is her bedding material made of? Ducks often bury their eggs and later uncover them. My duck is sitting on a dozen eggs, but one day I could only find 11, I had to really dig through the straw before I found the 12th one. Could they have been hidden before you saw them today?

 

[upstatePekin]

Hi,
Absolutely no possibility, there was the one egg yesterday. We use hay, but it isn't an overwhelming amount in there. We only have the one duck, and we are in her area at the very least once a day.

I realize it must be hard to believe such a situation, but there was only one yesterday and three this a.m. My husband will ask a friend at work who has chickens,maybe that person will have an insight about this.

Thank you for your reply

 

[Dances with Ducks]

Actually I'm pretty sure I've read a couple of other people asking and telling about two eggs a day, and if I remember right those were Pekins too! I tried to do a search but can't narrow it down enough. Eggciting!!

 

[upstatePekin]

Yes, It's Eggciting! Marshmallow is as happy as can be so the three eggs cannot be anything bad.

 

[upstatePekin]

just a little update, Marshmallow only gave us one egg this morning. Things are back to normal lol

 

[Dances with Ducks]

Marshmellow is such a cute name for a Pekin!
If she starts lays more than one egg again I would wonder if you should start finding a way to breed her. Some people might like to have her genetics in a flock. I think her sons might pass them on, with some inbreeding you might have a super egg laying strain of Pekins.

 

[upstatePekin]

That is an interesting idea !
Pekins are notorious for 'not sitting' on their eggs, is this correct? ( if we were to breed, would this be a problem or?) I am seriously not very knowledgeable on the subject........ we would have to invest in an incubator?
Let me know what you think on this

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
If you want to get a larger number of ducklings (breeding) you will probably want to have an incubator other wise she is just going to lay a clutch and either set or not set as suits her. Birds bred for egg production usually are non-setters. Birds bred for meat production (Pekins are the kings of duck meat production) are usually butchered long before egg production begins. In either case there must be some egg production to be hatched and incubated to produce replacement birds but they are usually artifically incubated. I hope this didn't confuse the issue for you.

 

[Dances with Ducks]

I have read on this forum where an occasional Pekin has gone broody, but you can't count on it at all. If you didn't want to get an incubator you could get broody type chicken or muscovy duck hens, or else sell her fertilized eggs.
You know, maybe more important to than how many eggs she lays in a day would be how many she lays in a year. Some Pekins seem to lay real well most of the year, but a most take a lot of months off. If she were to lay more than an egg a day on a regular basis she could wind up with a huge total.