When do your ducks start laying in spring? + Feed ratios?

[nao57]

What month do your ducks start laying in spring?


I wanted to ask this to see if I need to adjust feed ratios.

Specifically could use information for Colorado, Southern Idaho, and Utah areas.

Thanks.


I've been using fodder and it works wonders for savings and I do think its healthy. But my hypothesis is that fodder fed birds (sprouts) will start laying a bit slower than other birds. My birds aren't laying yet, but I'm getting 1 egg a day right now,...which isn't good considering I've got about 12 hens. (But some of those were teenage ducks when winter started.)

Thanks.

I'd thinking maybe I could do say 10% normal feed with the sprouts and see if that works, or maybe 20%? What do you think?

But an added issue is that I'm also dealing with elevation. This makes for slower spring start up also. Elevation approximately 4500 feet above sea level.

 

[fatty and friends]

oyster shells and egg shells can be fed daily and kept out 24/7 for calcium, they start laying once it gets warm so any time now

 

[KaleIAm]

My ducks usually start laying in the end of February or early March. I live in Washington State. The length of daylight triggers egg production, not temperature. This is why some people put in artificial lighting to increase egg production. I don't recommend this tactic, however, as it can cause reproductive issues in the long run.

 

[Percipen]

I'm in SE Michigan and I only have 1 of my 6 hens laying right now. 3 of them turned 5 months last week, so I figured they're late bloomers. Mine freerange, so they dont eat much of their duck food now that the snow is gone. They go crazy over the oyster shell lately. But they mostly eat grass, dandelions and bugs, so if your hypothesis is correct, it makes sense in my situation