The Duck Thread

[Amiga]

If you can wipe them off well, that should be fine - but I have been told that washing them actually may increase the likelihood of bacteria getting into the egg, as it removes the protective bloom (like a waxy coating)

 

[sryglet]

This is both related to chickens and ducks:

Any idea what happened to my eggs? I have two chickens and one duck that just started laying... For a week, we found two chicken eggs in the coop every morning. After that week, we only found one egg a day for three or four days... My duck laid one egg a day for two days... Now we don't find any. I've looks all over my property (they're free range) and I can't find eggs anywhere. What happened to the eggs?

 

[jtn42248]

This is both related to chickens and ducks:

Any idea what happened to my eggs? I have two chickens and one duck that just started laying... For a week, we found two chicken eggs in the coop every morning. After that week, we only found one egg a day for three or four days... My duck laid one egg a day for two days... Now we don't find any. I've looks all over my property (they're free range) and I can't find eggs anywhere. What happened to the eggs?

There are several things that might be an answer. First, and most simple, they may have just stopped laying for a while. Birds do that especially in hot weather or if there has been anything that stresses them. Also, it could be a predator that fancies eggs. Skunks and Raccoons will both that eggs and then there is the infamous chicken snake/rat snake/black snake and several other names but to loose multiple eggs to snakes there would probably be more than one.

 

[sryglet]

We just added two ducks and a goose to our flock. Could that be making them not lay?

 

[jtn42248]

We just added two ducks and a goose to our flock. Could that be making them not lay?

Are they all kept in the same pen/run/coop? It is possible that the change could impact egg lay. However I would suspect that was not the only reason they may have stopped. What part of the country are you in. Temps can impact egg laying as well. My hens who normally lay between 15 and 20 eggs a day have dropped back to 9 or 10 since the temps have been dancing around 100 degrees. Also, at least for ducks, egg laying can be seasonal and may not pickup until Fall.

 

[JadeComputerGal]

We just added two ducks and a goose to our flock. Could that be making them not lay?

Oh dear, and you just added to yours and recently had one die for no reason you knew. Did you segregate the new ones for a week or two?

 

[sryglet]

Oh dear, and you just added to yours and recently had one die for no reason you knew. Did you segregate the new ones for a week or two?

The one that died died because someone was watching our house and they didn't put him away. We found bloody feathers everywhere Everyone is in good health. We didn't segregate anyone but they all are super healthy and have never had contact with wild birds.

 

[sryglet]

Are they all kept in the same pen/run/coop? It is possible that the change could impact egg lay. However I would suspect that was not the only reason they may have stopped. What part of the country are you in. Temps can impact egg laying as well. My hens who normally lay between 15 and 20 eggs a day have dropped back to 9 or 10 since the temps have been dancing around 100 degrees. Also, at least for ducks, egg laying can be seasonal and may not pickup until Fall.

It has been around 85 degrees every day here in southern Indiana. They started laying one egg each two weeks ago, then it became just one egg that we found every morning, and they stopped completely a couple days ago. The duck started laying on the day we brought everyone home, laid one more egg the next day, and then stopped. And yes, they're all kept together. They're free range from 8:30am to about 9pm.

 

[jtn42248]

It has been around 85 degrees every day here in southern Indiana. They started laying one egg each two weeks ago, then it became just one egg that we found every morning, and they stopped completely a couple days ago. The duck started laying on the day we brought everyone home, laid one more egg the next day, and then stopped. And yes, they're all kept together. They're free range from 8:30am to about 9pm.

That should be great laying temps. I have not got a clue then. Sorry

 

[sryglet]

Yeah I don't have a clue either other than them adjusting to the new flock members our house is super sheltered, so I don't think anything could have eaten the eggs during the day, and I am pretty confident that I've found all of the places that they might lay. Not to mention they definitely all laid overnight, I'm not sure that they can so suddenly change the time they they lay?