We just have our Pekin pair that are going to be 23 wks this coming Sat. No other ducks so they are attached to each other! We got our first egg last Sat and Daisy has laid one each day since. I wonder how long will she lay these daily? Can she skip a day and be normal? Do they only lay one egg at a time?We aren't interesting in raising ducklings but if we were, how would she set on the egg or eggs? Do they lay clutches per se to raise babies? I know they aren't especially broody and since we find the egg each morning (early)...she does not tend to it and it's cold. I'm just curious as to how people raise these ducks...do they all have to be incubated? Another concern is her mate...Donald...has become a bit aggressive. We've had them since they were a week old, kept them in the house, and handled them both. He has always been more guarded and not as interactive as she is. But, it seems that since he started mating, he became a bit protective of her and I understood that. It's just that now...he will chase people that come in the yard from the house or the back and he is not bluffing! He bites and it is really painful! Daisy does not even have to be around now. He has no fear! Oh, the biggest of our 3 llamas caused him to pause as he looked up at her...lol..but he is not afraid of any of the dogs. We have a 7, 9, 45 and 110 pounders and he treats them ALL the same! Will chase them, bite at them, bite if he connects and flies up on them. They all give him a wide berth and he is the dang boss of the backyard! My Great Pyrenees (Levi) even gets out of his way when he flies up on his back when Levi's sitting. Why is he like this now? Is it normal? I see many posts about aggressive drakes, but doesn't sound like they all are.....or are they? He does not bite when I am feeding them, but sometimes when I open the door to the coop....he will try to fly up on me and chest bump. He's a brat and no one will go out there but me, I certainly can't let our 2 yr old grandson out with him. Donald reminds me of a gander I once had that my daughter still talks about as he was as tall as her and would chase her! But, different than Donald in that he only chased people that were afraid, he never bothered me. I have had more than a few painful bites from Donald that leave marks! Any thoughts?
On egg production: light directly effects a hens hormone production. Longer days mean more light means egg production. That said I've read numerous posts referencing a "first year" phenomenon where a duck will lay through the winter her first year. I haven't experienced this without supplemental lighting, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen for some. On hatching: if you're planning on hatching it might be advisable to wait for winter to pass (assuming you're in the northern hemisphere.) ducklings need warmer temps for the first few months and it can be hard to achieve them outdoors. If you can keep ducklings indoors for 8-12 weeks then by all means hatch now, but if you're new to ducklings be warned they are messy buggers. Generally, a duck will lay a clutch over the course of 2-3 weeks then begin to sit on them full time. Be warned, some ducks will hatch their clutch and go back to laying in a few weeks, others will take months.. if you like getting eggs and have the one female you might be out eggs for 5+ months (ask me how I know this. *eyeroll*) As far as yourm drakes behavior, I'll let someone else tackle that.
On the drake: I've read that a ratio of 1 drake to 4 females is good. I wonder if he isn't getting enough mating in with just the one? You could also check and make sure he isn't sick (painful feathers, a scratch, a sprain, etc). My ducks get really moody if they aren't feeling the best. As for the female, I read that you can expect an egg every 3-4 days in mallards. That being said, my girls take turns and after 4 days take a rest day. When they first start laying they are still getting used to the cycle. One time I found an egg about the size of my thumb pad, and it had two yolks and no hard shell. As long as she is pooping, she isn't egg bound. If you are worried, I would suggest duck diapers from a reputable dealer (I got ours from Avian Fashions) and let her stay in a modified dog kennel to be monitered for a few days. The diapers aren't necessary, only helpful. I found a book about pet ducks that i love, I'll post the author and title later when i get home.
