Hello all,
I'm at my wit's end. We bought 14 ducks in August from a local breeder: 8 Khaki Campbells, 4 Silver Appleyards, and a beautiful crossed pair (Welsh Harlequin x Rouen). The crossed duck is 2 years old and the breeder said she was a great layer. 6 of the Campbells are females--5 juveniles who were hatched in the spring and one who is 2 years old who is supposedly a good layer. The Appleyards were also hatched in the spring, and we could not sex them, but THOUGHT we were getting 2 pairs - turns out it was 4 drakes.
SO, I have 8 females, mostly young but 2 older, and I have not gotten a single egg yet.
I let them out of their house to free range in the morning every day around 7:30 (occasionally as late as 8:30 or 9:00 if I sleep late on a weekend) and they come in to eat and go into their house for the night around 7:30/8:00 pm. They have access to a big area, but are pretty much creatures of habit about where they hang out - on our small pond and in the brushy and wooded areas around the pond.
They have ample forage, and I also provide generous rations of layer feed, oyster shell, and grit, all of which they eat. They have plenty of water and seem really happy and content.
Why are they not laying? Or is it possible they are all laying somewhere outside and I'm not finding the eggs? I've left them penned up all day in their small pen a couple of times to see if they lay in the pen if they're not allowed to free range, and no eggs.
Are they not getting enough light? I have read conflicting things about this - some people saying their Campbells lay all winter with no artificial light.
What should I do? I like having the ducks, but we got them primarily to have eggs and with the hope of eventually breeding them (which of course I can't do if I never find an egg!). It feels like we just have a flock of pet ducks now who are costing us money in feed and not earning their keep.
Should I leave them penned up for a while in case they are laying outside somewhere? Should I provide light? Help me, duck experts!
Beth/Milkweed
I'm at my wit's end. We bought 14 ducks in August from a local breeder: 8 Khaki Campbells, 4 Silver Appleyards, and a beautiful crossed pair (Welsh Harlequin x Rouen). The crossed duck is 2 years old and the breeder said she was a great layer. 6 of the Campbells are females--5 juveniles who were hatched in the spring and one who is 2 years old who is supposedly a good layer. The Appleyards were also hatched in the spring, and we could not sex them, but THOUGHT we were getting 2 pairs - turns out it was 4 drakes.
SO, I have 8 females, mostly young but 2 older, and I have not gotten a single egg yet.
I let them out of their house to free range in the morning every day around 7:30 (occasionally as late as 8:30 or 9:00 if I sleep late on a weekend) and they come in to eat and go into their house for the night around 7:30/8:00 pm. They have access to a big area, but are pretty much creatures of habit about where they hang out - on our small pond and in the brushy and wooded areas around the pond.
They have ample forage, and I also provide generous rations of layer feed, oyster shell, and grit, all of which they eat. They have plenty of water and seem really happy and content.
Why are they not laying? Or is it possible they are all laying somewhere outside and I'm not finding the eggs? I've left them penned up all day in their small pen a couple of times to see if they lay in the pen if they're not allowed to free range, and no eggs.
Are they not getting enough light? I have read conflicting things about this - some people saying their Campbells lay all winter with no artificial light.
What should I do? I like having the ducks, but we got them primarily to have eggs and with the hope of eventually breeding them (which of course I can't do if I never find an egg!). It feels like we just have a flock of pet ducks now who are costing us money in feed and not earning their keep.
Should I leave them penned up for a while in case they are laying outside somewhere? Should I provide light? Help me, duck experts!
Beth/Milkweed
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