What time of the day do ducks lay eggs?

[kuntrygirl]

Mine are waiting at the chicken house door at about 6:00 AM, so that I can open the door and let them in to lay.

 

[jdywntr]

My first thought is, whenever they feel like it.

Mine USUALLY laid their eggs in the morning before 730-8am but occassionally, mid-afternoon I'd find a duck egg in the middle of the yard.
Also, when one of my females decided she did not like the nest in the run any longer

she would fly at the duck door (as much as a runner can) when I'd go to let them out in the morning and run over to a tree that had some old wood piled near it and lay her egg there.

 

[NYRIR]

Usually before 8 30 am...new layers sometimes later for me so far .

 

[Tahai]

Hello!

I have no experience with poultry, but am intending to get ducks this coming spring. After all my research, one question/concern I have remaining is about the laying schedule.

I see from the replies to this thread that the ducks lay anywhere from 6:30 am to 10:30. In some of the other threads, the consensus seems to be at or around 9 am for the average. My concern is that I will have to let the ducks out around 8 or so during the work week.

Will this disturb their laying ability?

Since the primary purpose for my having ducks is eggs, I do not want to waste any by missing them in a daily 'easter egg hunt.' Is there a way to encourage laying behavior so that they lay earlier in the morning?

Thank you in advance for your help.

Tahai

 

[sonew123]

I have no idea when my ducks lay them?? But I have them waiting for me in the mornings when I go down there ( when Dh isnt helping) Ive been down there before 7 am and there they are waiting for me!

 

[tbitt]

Ducks are very good at "scheduling".

We let our ducks out around 5 - 5:30 and they have already laid their eggs by then.

We have always let them out that early; we have to because I leave at 5:20 am and the hubby leaves at 6am.
They are used to being out early and do their business before they get let out.

 

[Tahai]

Thank you! Placed my order today. Very excited

 

[LLCoyote]

My ducks lay early morning, usually I don't even seen them lay and they're let out around 7 in the morning. I've also heard it depends on the breed of duck. While some breeds make a nest, I've read that runners and some other breeds (who's names escape me) will just lay their eggs in the field and walk along. I honestly can't say if that's true or not but I read it from the 'Keeping Ducks and Geese' which is a published and fairly popular book.

No matter what breed you get or when you let them out, you can't really disrupt their laying to the point they won't do it. (At least I've never heard of that happening) Chances are though, if you let them out too early, they'll lay in the yard. Not THAT big of a deal unless you bought your birds for the purpose of getting eggs and even at that, as long as your yard isn't HUGE you should be able to locate them. Have fun with your ducks! They're a lot of fun!

 

[Ducks and Banny hens]

It varies, but it is common for them to lay in the early morning (dawn-ish).

 

[Miss Lydia]

My Muscovy ducks usually lay before 8:30 am