So Bizarre...

[CityChicker]

Our bantam ducks have started laying already. Never have they started this early! We usually get a few small cycles of eggs in the late Fall to early Winter, but never this time of year. We haven't even separated most of them into breeding groups yet and I am not planning on even checking the eggs for fertility until probably March. Pretty weird though. It must have something to do with the strange weather this year.

 

[lovesduckies]

where do you live? you don't have to give a city lol. i hear everyone has had a cold winter but i am in so-cal and up untill a few weeks ago we've had pretty warm weather!!! i think it was like 80 on christmas!!!! my sister lives in washington and i called her on thanksgiving and told her wow it's 86 in november. i wore shorts and a tee shirt on thanksgiving

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Off topic...but I had NO IDEA there were bantam ducks! How did I miss that?!?! Congrats on them laying

 

[DuckLady]

Our ducks are laying up a storm.

The winter is mild this year and they are ready for spring.

 

[thereseiam]

We are having an absolutely horrid and bitter winter--weeks at a time with sub zero temperatures, and much more snow than normal.

That said, my turkey hens are laying like crazy--though I haven't gotten a single duck egg yet.

Definitely an odd laying year!

Therese

 

[CityChicker]

We are in Colorado and have really had unusual weather this year. It started snowing very early in the year. Most years, it is just now getting started with Feb. and March being the worst months. On top of that, the cold has been unreal. We have had snow on the ground (where we are anyway) for probably three months. Again, really unusual for here.

This month, we have finally started having some more typical weather with warm days and sunshine. I'm sure that has got a lot to do with it. At any rate, we have never had the number of birds laying this early in the year that we have this year. I normally don't start seeing regular laying (in our bantams that is) until March or April.

 

[lovesduckies]

i've heard everyone is having a colder than normal winter. which is weird cuz i think ours has been fairly warm.

well congrats on your duckies laying!!!!!! i can't wait till mine starts. this will be the first time i have bred duckies. i didn't mean to get a pair. i just picked out 2 cuties!! lol they happened to be a pair. these are my first ducks!!

 

[Sweetfolly]

Quote:
I'm suffering along with you, dealing with the horrid, bitter, biting cold. I'm not expecting to see any eggs until the last week of March, which is when my Khaki Campbell girls traditionally start laying. I really wish I was seeing eggs already, because I'm getting tired of icky grocery store chicken eggs for breakfast! I want some good, fresh duck eggs!

As sad as this sounds, I'm really looking forward to tomorrow's high temperature of 26 degrees - it's like a heat wave after days of high temperatures in the single digits, and night-time's well into the negative teens!

 

[CityChicker]

I am actually afraid now that this is going to really impact the breeding season. A few of my bantam hens have pretty much laid full clutches of eggs now. That may impact how many eggs they lay in the spring. It has to be because of the odd weather. Luckily, I have a ton of extra hens this year!

 

[Wifezilla]

Hi Dana,

I am getting 3 eggs a day now from 4 ducks. I think some are from Lexus (the duck I got from you). Tweak* is already fertilizing the eggs. There is a definite bullseye when we crack them open. Someone dug a nice little hole and tried to hide the eggs from me this morning

I will keep stealing the eggs until the weather warms up. We both know we have at least 3 blizzards to go through yet!

Like you, I am sick of the snow and ice sticking around. What happened to the good old days where we would get dumped on and in 3 days everything would melt???

*Tweak is such an awesome drake. He is, first of all HANDSOME as all get-out. Second, he isn't a bully. Third, he is a great watch duck. Fourth, he shares treats with his girls. He is friendly and always greets me when I go out back. He even eats treats from my hand and lets me touch him. Not bad for a flock raised duck who freaked out when I got him! LOL