Finally, she did it. She laid an egg. I didn't think I would get any eggs until spring but my little duck is laying an egg everyday. I'm waiting for the other little girl to start laying eggs. I am so thrilled. I have 5 Indian Runner Ducks...... sadly I lost one somewhere in the woods. The ducks found the water and I couldn't get them out for days. Then one morning I come out to feed and only 5 ducks come running towards me. They haven't gone back into the woods since. I guess that's a good thing. Anyway, I'm wondering if I should start saving some eggs and hatching them. I've done some chicken eggs but never duck eggs. What do you think? I wouldn't be able to do it till after Thanksgiving. Is there any differences between the chicken and duck egg hatching method??? I mean, temperature wise, humidity timing and length of time. I really need some female ducks since I have 3 males.
Congrats to both of you! I know very little about ducks,. but I am so happy that you have your first egg! It must be in honor of Veterans Day,. what a patriotic girl!
I wouldn't collect the first eggs, but since you have to wait a few weeks anyway... But if you start incubating in December, that means winter babies. I don't know where you are to know the weather, but even here in southern AL, I wouldn't want to be hatching ducklings in Jan. You'd have to keep them inside for quite a while.
I got another egg this morning so that makes about 5 eggs from her so far. An egg everyday. Now I'm waiting for her sister to start laying. When I was first treated to an egg it was a fart egg and was in the pool. I found it when I drained it. I was so excited. Then the next day I found and egg after draining the pool again. This time it was the size of a chicken egg. The two following days I found an egg between the pool and the little step. I'm thinking this can't be good. I went into the house and pulled out 2 large marble eggs I have in a bowl and put them in a "nest" type area in the coop. Sure enough the next morning the egg was in the "nest". I'm so proud of my little duck. I can't wait till the other one starts laying. I am borrowing an incubator and am wondering if I should try and hatch some. It wouldn't be until some time in Dec. though. I live in SE North Carolina so our temps aren't too bad. I don't know much about hatching duck eggs though. Do they take longer then chicken eggs?
The first 2 weeks of eggs are no good at all. Most of them a infertile even with a male around. Their reproductive system just started and is hormonally not balanced. You ducks should be on a vitamin/mineral supplement in their water to assure that the eggs are not deficient. Deficient eggs usually die during incubation or cause defects in the ducklings at birth. Now as for incubating in winter, I tell you it is a bad idea. Lets do the math. One month of incubating, one months in the brooder, another 2 month in a warm room (at least 70 degrees). That makes is 4 month before they are able to go outside, because they do need to feather in. At that time they do not have downs or winter fat, which means you still have to house them somewhat warm (60 degrees). So can you keep them indoors with all that heat? Is this your own house you are keeping them in? If yes, then you better be prepared to clean their living area 4 times per day. It gets that messy! In my point of view it is a very bad idea to incubate in winter. They are confined when they are still growing, which means they are more likely to under develop their muscles due to inactivity. It is best to have them in spring and let them run around outside to gain strenght etc.
