When to help? When to worry?

[MuscovyLover]

Okay. This is probably a really blonde question but I can't find a straight answer online:-/
It seems from the info and feedback I've gotten that regardless of whether my scovie hens are 7 months or twelve montha old at the time, they are seasonal layers and i can expect to see eggs anywhere from late winter onwards (mine will be 9 months old when the first month of winter is over here). Is that correct?

This begs my next questions. How many eggs will each girl lay in a clutch?
And will they each only lay one clutch for the year?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Okay. This is probably a really blonde question but I can't find a straight answer online:-/
It seems from the info and feedback I've gotten that regardless of whether my scovie hens are 7 months or twelve montha old at the time, they are seasonal layers and i can expect to see eggs anywhere from late winter onwards (mine will be 9 months old when the first month of winter is over here). Is that correct?

This begs my next questions. How many eggs will each girl lay in a clutch?
And will they each only lay one clutch for the year?

Mine usually start laying late winter, as far as how many they will they lay in a clutch do you mean before they go broody/ if yes it all depends on the duck some are happy with 5 some don't stop till they have 20. I have to control how many my girls lay so I usually only let them have 4-5 per clutch, they can raise 2-3 broods a year if you let them.

 

[Lacrystol]

I have calls and calls are suppose to be seasonal as well mine are suppose to lay in the spring and fall. Well spring isn't here and mine have been laying for two months, yes they actually started laying in the coldest part of our winter when the temp was below zero. That is why I had an issue with one of my boys he got frost bite on his love toy. But then I learned because I had no clue, males will lose there love toy and grow a new one that is longer. Hummmmm wish this was true for people lol.

 

[MuscovyLover]

Miss Lydia I'm not sure what you mean by before they go broody? Do they not start laying until they want to be mamas?
My drake has been wildly making love to two of his girls but the other one won't let him mount her. She's a feisty little thing and bites his man bits every time she gets a chance:-/
He favours the smallest girl and she follows him around putting her tail feathers up in front of his face. It's cute but a bit pathetic lol.
I've noticed this week that my girls are really friendly too. Unusual for the two that have been mating but they've been coming up to me a lot, peeping and tails waging. Not sure what that's about?

Lacrystol I laughed so hard when I read that! And I didn't know they're penises fell off!!!

 

[MuscovyLover]

Also, Miss Lydia, I'll let them repeat the process as many times as they're willing too.
My boyfriend isn't enamored with the duckies like I am. He wants to start seeing there egg production cover the cost of having them. Because of this, it occurred to me that if they each only have one set of eggs/babies, I'm going to have a really hard time justifying having them to the man friend:-(

 

[Lacrystol]

Miss Lydia I'm not sure what you mean by before they go broody? Do they not start laying until they want to be mamas?
My drake has been wildly making love to two of his girls but the other one won't let him mount her. She's a feisty little thing and bites his man bits every time she gets a chance:-/
He favours the smallest girl and she follows him around putting her tail feathers up in front of his face. It's cute but a bit pathetic lol.
I've noticed this week that my girls are really friendly too. Unusual for the two that have been mating but they've been coming up to me a lot, peeping and tails waging. Not sure what that's about?

Lacrystol I laughed so hard when I read that! And I didn't know they're penises fell off!!!

Makes you wonder hummmm perhaps we all have the wrong kind of species for a mate. Lol

 

[MuscovyLover]

Bahahahahahaha :-D

 

[Miss Lydia]

Miss Lydia I'm not sure what you mean by before they go broody? Do they not start laying until they want to be mamas?
My drake has been wildly making love to two of his girls but the other one won't let him mount her. She's a feisty little thing and bites his man bits every time she gets a chance:-/
He favours the smallest girl and she follows him around putting her tail feathers up in front of his face. It's cute but a bit pathetic lol.
I've noticed this week that my girls are really friendly too. Unusual for the two that have been mating but they've been coming up to me a lot, peeping and tails waging. Not sure what that's about?

Lacrystol I laughed so hard when I read that! And I didn't know they're penises fell off!!!

They will lay X number of eggs before they go broody some are happy with 4-5 some 15 up, some go broody pretty quick once they start to lay some not so much. It is all up to the duck. But once she lays her clutch and goes broody she'll be there till the end 35 days, after she raises that clutch she'll be gin to lay again and may start the process all over again, Scovy's are really good at brooding. Their pretty good layers too if you can keep them off the eggs. I just go in an collect daily.

 

[MuscovyLover]

Thanks heaps Miss Lydia. I am so grateful to have found this forum. You've all been a wealth of information and super lovely
So from here on in I just wait until someone starts laying. I'm sooo impatient about it all!
I worry that they don't have enough cosy areas to lay in in thier pen. We're building them an enclosed box this weekend to go with thier open ones. Hopefully that will encourage them:-D

We're also building the new Drake (Max) his own pen tomorrow. I can't wait for him to not have to live with the chooks out the back and to be abe to free range all day!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks heaps Miss Lydia. I am so grateful to have found this forum. You've all been a wealth of information and super lovely
So from here on in I just wait until someone starts laying. I'm sooo impatient about it all!
I worry that they don't have enough cosy areas to lay in in thier pen. We're building them an enclosed box this weekend to go with thier open ones. Hopefully that will encourage them:-D

We're also building the new Drake (Max) his own pen tomorrow. I can't wait for him to not have to live with the chooks out the back and to be abe to free range all day!

Shouldn't take too long for eggs now. Please post when you finish building we would all like to see it.