Regarding duck eggs...

[CTChickenMom]

I have 2 ducks, a Muskovy (Matilda) and a call (Mimi). Does anyone know when they start laying eggs? They were born late March, early April. I can't seem to find info on what age they are when they start laying. Anyone?

 

[DuckLady]

They will start laying from 5 to 7 months old. It just depends on the duck.

In my experience, muscovies start laying a bit later.

 

[saxet]

Interesting question. I do not recall mine laying at all, the first spring.

Then the pekin started laying...in the water (good grief!!) and she finally cleaned up her act and is laying in the brush. She is 4 years old. Boy. It took a while to get her act together.

 

[katharinad]

We have a small water hole in the meadow and I found eggs in it. Not my ducks but some bird. The eggs were small and had no shells. My husband was clueless when he saw it and asked me what it was.

 

[Goat_Walker]

Could it have been reptile eggs instead of bird eggs?

All my muscovys are laying - My youngest was born 10/01/09 and she is currently setting on a nest thats due next week or so. Muscovys do take longer to reach sexual maturity than mallard derived birds, so that means it takes longer for the breed to start laying. As far as calls - No idea. Ive never had one of those cute little buggers!

Its like you have a clysdale and a miniature pony! lol Or a great dane and a chihuahua! Ive always wondered what my yard would look like with nothing but scovies and calls, lol

 

[CTChickenMom]

I love my girls! We will be converting my rain garden into a duck pond for them. I'll post picks of them tomorrow! It is funny seeing the 2 of them together. I bet that 'scovy is nearly 2 feet long, beak to tail feathers. The little call will hide around her when she's scared. Do need to get them out of the house. Thank goodness for a large brooder!

 

[Amiga]

For what it's worth, I read in Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks that sometimes ducks lay as early as seventeen weeks, more often around 24 weeks.

Mine started laying today, at 16 weeks.

 

[CTChickenMom]

Quote:
Thanks Amiga...I don't have that book yet but I appreciate you looking it up. Mine are about 10 weeks now so I better get a move on! I'm hoping this weekend to get a better idea for a duck house. I don't want it to be too complex but it has to look good.

 

[Amiga]

Just an idea for the house - mine is a simple plywood box (untreated inside, treated outside). What makes it nice, for me, is that we used see-through polycarbonate corrugated roofing and put in a Dutch door on the side for human access. Ducks come and go through a sliding door into their night pen and then out into their day yard.

I also have bought some milk paint and plan to paint it a medium green, which should work well since there are yews and juniper in the yard, as well as ferns and hosta and sweet woodruff in the spring, summer and fall.

I have two hanging pots on the side of the house, too, to give it a little more charm. We are a ways from done, but I think it looks pretty good for a first effort.

By the way, I made it double-walled so that I could put mold-proof insulation in.

(edit: of course you already know about New England winters!)

 

[Sweetfolly]

Quote:

My Pekin lays eggs in her kiddie pool - she's the only duck in the flock that does it.