Stupid question probably...

[JulieNKC]

How do you tell the difference between duck and chicken eggs? I found a white egg in the nestbox today. I assumed it was from my white leghorn, who is around 24 weeks or so. Then I was thinking about it later, and my ducks are supposed to lay white eggs to, and are a few weeks older than her. It's a little bright white egg. I had to wash it and the other eggs off, it's been rainy the last few days and they were covered in mud.
Here is the egg between 2 of my wyandotte's eggs.

 

[so lucky]

Not a stupid question at all. I was under the impression that duck eggs were larger than chicken eggs, but it may depend on the kind of duck. Hopefully some of our chicken & duck experts will be able to help you. Is the nest box at ground level? I wouldn't think a duck would want to go to a nest box that is off the ground very much.

 

[Lordofchickens 86]

that is a duck egg in the middle a new hens lay small misshapen eggs called cock eggs . most of the time. i have hung out chickens for a long time.

 

[JulieNKC]

The egg was in my litterbox nestbox, which sits on the ground. I think they are supposed to be bigger, but I don't know if they start out smaller, like pullet eggs. I also read duck eggs have a waxy coating, but I had to scrub all these eggs since they were muddy.

 

[debs_flock]

Duck eggs do have a waxy feel to them, even after washing. They are generally slightly more rounded than chickens eggs. When you break it open, the yolk in a duck egg is generally larger in proportion to the white than a chicken egg.

Deb

 

[Darklingstorm]

Quote:
I have a duck laying and you most diffidently can tell the difference by touch. The eggs are waxy and very slippery when wet, so take care when washing. They are also harder to crack because the shells are thicker.

 

[JulieNKC]

Quote:
Thanks. It is more rounder than my chicken eggs, both ends are close to the same size. I'll crack it open for breakfast tomorrow, and find out then for sure I guess.

I wonder if I get the ducks their own box if they'll quit laying in the chickens, I don't really want muddy eggs everyday.

I don't think I would have even questioned it being a chicken egg if it hadn't been for the mud. All my feather footed chickens are too young to lay, broody, or molting and the non feather footed girls don't usually get the eggs dirty unless it's raining right when they lay.

 

[JulieNKC]

Leghorn egg! I got another today, in a higher up nestbox, cleaner, bigger, and more egg shaped. So I'm still waiting for a duck egg. I'm really about to go get some duck eggs to try, I'm getting impatient. I'm just afraid if I got some I wouldn't eat them and would stick them under a broody instead, lol. I also got a softshell egg tooday, so I'm hoping maybe it's from my EE and she's gearing up to lay a real one sometime soon.