Topic of the Week - Duck Hens 101

[Amiga]

When do ducks reach maturity and what to expect?

Depends on the breed. Smaller generally mature earlier. At around 4 months my Runners started playing hop on top, and one started laying eggs. Over the next several weeks everyone else started laying

But they were not really fully grown, all filled out, till they were over a year old.

- Egg laying

The Runners laid daily for about sixteen months their first go-round. They rested for a couple months, laid fourteen months, rested three months, and so on. Now eight years old, they lay occasionally. Some will lay daily for a month or two.

- How to manage bossy hens

We have not had much difficulty with that. Zehn used to like to yank others' breast feathers from time to time, but they just walked away.

- How to handle broody hens

I let them sit on dud eggs till they are ready to give it up. Nests are always in the night pen, so no safety issues. I make sure to bring treats like peas to the nest so I know they are getting enough to eat. And I check body condition after a few weeks. I think going broody saved Sechs' life after she had a prolapse. I kept her in the night pen with curtains drawn after her surgery. She found a couple of eggs, made a nest and started sitting. I let her. She sat for two months, with twice daily breaks for potty, food, water, and maniacal runaround before going back on the nest. Her vent was in perfect condition when the stitches were removed.

- Nesting

Mine make little nest spots in the bedding in corners. Eggs are often laid there, but not always. Not everyone seems to be interested in a nest.

- Feeding hens, calcium needed for laying hens, etc.

I find some of my ducks really need more calcium than they get in their feed (organic layer) and with free choice crushed oyster shell. If someone lays a soft egg, she gets peas with calcium citrate powder - about 200 mg for two to four days.

I also add calcium citrate to everybody's feed from time to time. I add about 80 mg per duck a few times a week when that happens.

 

[casportpony]

- When do ducks reach maturity and what to expect?

I've found that my welshies mature around five to six months, and that's when I start to see eggs from them. I can usually tell when they're getting close because they'll start soliciting the males, bobbing their heads at them and enticing them to mate. Usually once I see that I know I can expect eggs pretty soon.

- Egg laying

Egg laying really depends on the breed. Most ducks have a laying season, but in production breeds the 'season' has been drastically increased to something like nine or ten months out of the year. Those would be breeds like pekins, runners, khaki campbells, etc. Other breeds that are more for ornamental purposes like Calls and mallards have a laying season that more closely mimics undomesticated ducks, and then might lay only for the spring and summer and then stop for the year.

- How to handle broody hens

Broody ducks are best left to their own devices. They will choose a nesting spot, lay their eggs, and then settle in to incubate them. They'll get up each day to eat, drink, poop, and have a swim - it's important to make sure they have swimming water, because they will go back to the nest with damp feathers, which increases the humidity. It's best not to move them, since they really don't do well being moved, and moving them is very likely to get them to break from being broody in my experience.

- Nesting

Some ducks are happy to use a nesting box, while others seem happy to just lay their egg wherever they happen to be when they get the urge. I've found eggs in my pools from ducks who decided that they were just going to lay their egg during their morning swim.

Ducks tend to lay in the morning, so if you don't want every day to be a scavenger hunt to try to find where they laid, if you keep them in the coop in the morning and let them out in the early afternoon and they will most likely have laid in the coop.

Some will use nest boxes if you offer them one. Mine have a triangle type design that I originally made for my geese, but the ducks like it too, so now they have some that are appropriately sized for them.

For nesting materials, I provide hay, and they build their nests with it to their liking.

- Feeding hens, calcium needed for laying hens, etc.

I feed all my birds the same thing, a chick starter/grower with 20% protein. All my ducks do very well on it. I don't feed layer because drakes and ducks that aren't currently laying don't need the amount of calcium that's in a layer feed, and too much calcium causes bone issues, kidney damage, etc. So I just offer oyster shell free choice on the side. The ducks that need it take what they need, and the ones that don't need it aren't getting an overdose of calcium.

Especially the bit about not moving broodies. I've tried a few times and they always abandon their new nest or go back to the empty one.

Broody ducks are best left to their own devices. They will choose a nesting spot, lay their eggs, and then settle in to incubate them. They'll get up each day to eat, drink, poop, and have a swim - it's important to make sure they have swimming water, because they will go back to the nest with damp feathers, which increases the humidity. It's best not to move them, since they really don't do well being moved, and moving them is very likely to get them to break from being broody in my experience.

 

[casportpony]

I find some of my ducks really need more calcium than they get in their feed (organic layer) and with free choice crushed oyster shell. If someone lays a soft egg, she gets peas with calcium citrate powder - about 200 mg for two to four days.

I also add calcium citrate to everybody's feed from time to time. I add about 80 mg per duck a few times a week when that happens.

It's a must-have in my first aid kit!

 

[BantyChooks]

Great topic. Now, does anyone have a magic spell or something to make 9 month old slackers start laying?

 

[Bills vs Beaks]

Also,, I might get a domestic mallard pair in the spring. I hear the hens are the best domestic duck broodies. So, chickens really, if you need better duck broodies, go for a pair of mallards.(Or a female)

I wanna try that too! Some new khaki drakes (and hen or two, just coz theyre straight run. Gotta be sure I get a drake in the batch, you know *smirk*)
and a couple mallards in spring, thats what Im hoping for

 

[Miss Lydia]

The magic of longer days and spring time.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have 10 females ducks and only getting 1 egg every now and then. My girls range in age from 9yrs to 1.6 yrs. Some are even molting this time of year.

I am vigilant about taking eggs up every day when they are laying or my Muscovy's would take over the world with ducklings. They make great brooder and wonderful mothers But will go broody at the drop of 1 egg and it doesn't matter whos it is either.

My Muscovy's pick at each other this time of year, Little spats. My Runners and Buffs are 1 for all and all for 1 all year round. They will not brood which makes me happy. I'd rather not have to wrestle with another 2 breeds since I have to do it with the scovy's.

I have moved many of my scovy's from their original nesting house to the broody hatching house and never had one leave. My girls are very dedicated. And I move right before hatch.

I feed layer/broiler mixed 50/50 so my layers get some calcium but my non layers and boys aren't getting so much calcium, If I noticed thin shell I add Calcium citrate to their water bucket for a few days or cal gluconate. and they have oyster shell year round.

 

[chickens really]

Great topic. Now, does anyone have a magic spell or something to make 9 month old slackers start laying?

Yep....Day light hours...

 

[BantyChooks]

Yep....Day light hours...

I'm being silly.

 

[chickens really]

I'm being silly.