Question on duck raising...

[nao57]

So let's say you raise a batch of ducklings that all came up together. Born the same time.

Is it fair to say that when the drake tail appears on the male, may also correspond with a similar time window as when the hens of that group would start laying eggs also?

My peking ducks haven't laid eggs yet. But the drake just barely had his drake tail feathers show up. And oddly enough it took about 8 months.

So this has me wondering if the peking hens will then soon start dropping eggs. I have no idea why it took 8 months. But they all look very noticeably bigger than my other ducks. But more shy than them also for some reason.

 

[Duck mommy 2019]

8 months seems long to me, but it’s not unusual. when my girl was about to start laying she started taking interest in eating egg shells/oyster shells. also, are they mating? mine have been mating since like 8-9 weeks, but started to do it more right before she started to lay.

right now, i would just start to provide some calcium source on the side, and just give it time. they may just start laying next spring.

 

[nao57]

So they are slower huh?

Do they make up for it in other ways?

Thanks a bunch.

 

[Duck mommy 2019]

in my opinion, pekins are the best as just pets. all of my ducks are just pets, but if you want egg layers khaki campbell are great. my girl lays daily

 

[nao57]

in my opinion, pekins are the best as just pets. all of my ducks are just pets, but if you want egg layers khaki campbell are great. my girl lays daily

In my area its harder to get khakis for some reason. But pekings are around.

 

[Duck mommy 2019]

In my area its harder to get khakis for some reason. But pekings are around.

do you want ducks as pets or for eggs?

 

[nao57]

do you want ducks as pets or for eggs?

Actually both.

I'm doing it for entertainment and self sufficiency. I did feel a need for the push to be more self sufficient. And the grocery store prices are proving me right.

But I do genuinely like watching them also. They are kind of funny.

Like last week my peking girl went over and sat on the sprinkler when I turned it on. And you couldn't even tell it was on, lol. She just sat there on it and then she gets off and then suddenly water is spraying the other ducks.

They do funny stuff.

I was also forced into looking at it objectively early on also because the first batch of ducks was 5 males and 2 females. :S So we had to face reality early on.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

It's weird it's taking that long for you to get results like that. I k ow that by fair their first year I knew who was what sex and the females were laying eggs

 

[nao57]

Is it possible that there might be some duck breeds or types that might not start laying until the time period between 1 year and the second year?

 

[Trisseh]

last year’s ducks that I kept, the Swedish started laying in late October and then stopped for the rest of the winter, probably laid until mid November ish? That would put her at 5.5months. The silver appleyard didn’t start laying til the following (this) spring, in early March, which would put her at 9 months. I wouldn’t panic just yet. The larger breeds can definitely take longer to start. If you think they might be hiding eggs, keep them locked in their house for the morning and let them out in the early afternoon. Most ducks lay in the early morning hours, or at least they do around here. Lol.