When will ducks start laying eggs?

[bethann]

I have a female 1yr old Pekin that her mate was killed 7mo ago. I also have a mallard pair that is 9 mo old. They have coexisted with my chickens from the beginning. Now I am getting a white egg every couple of days (usually on the floor of the coop). Today was the first time I got one in a nesting box that has not been used before.

My chickens all have been laying brown eggs. Could this be a duck egg? Lucy ( 1 yr old Pekin) has been very mean lately and attacking everything and everyone. Can they be eating just like chicken eggs?

First time having ducks.

 

[Ang]

Sounds like a duck egg. Does the shell have a waxy coating? It it does its a duck egg. My ducks just started laying last week. I was so glad! They are excellent for baking. And yes, you can eat them just like a chicken egg. They taste a little more intense but still very good.

 

[DillardHome]

Quote:
I will be ordering my ducklings next week. I have wondered what will I do with their eggs when they start laying. We already have chickens who are in full egg laying mode FINALLY!

I have never tasted a duck egg. ANG you mentioned (and other BYC members) that they are good for baking, why is that? And what (if any) will you & BETHANN be doing with all your eggs, i.e. hatching, selling, etc.?

Thanks for your help

 

[Ang]

Quote:
I will be ordering my ducklings next week. I have wondered what will I do with their eggs when they start laying. We already have chickens who are in full egg laying mode FINALLY!

I have never tasted a duck egg. ANG you mentioned (and other BYC members) that they are good for baking, why is that? And what (if any) will you & BETHANN be doing with all your eggs, i.e. hatching, selling, etc.?

Thanks for your help

Duck eggs just make things fluffier and taste better. I don't know the science behind it but someone here probably does. I use all of my eggs in the kitchen. I will throw them in with chicken eggs when I make scrambled eggs. I also use them exclusively in my baking. I bake several times a week so they go quick. I am going to try to hatch a few this year for the first time. I plan on sticking several under a broody hen.

 

[Krissy7]

Hi do any of you know when a Khaki Campbell starts laying ive been trying to fing out for ages but I cant find what im looking for

 

[kurtjackieprovost]

I've been lurking for a while here. I love this site. I want to know when my khaki's will start to lay also. Does the juvenile molt have anything to do with the timing? I am so excited for some eggs.

 

[alexarae]

i hear that khakis start laying at 7 months but im not really sure about that. read it online somewhere...

 

[CrazyCatNChickenLady]

Does the drake mounting the hen give any sort of hint when they're ready to lay? Mine are only 17 weeks but I've seen the Khaki campbell drake mount the Khaki campbell hen a few times but not the buff hen..

 

[Amiga]

My runners started hopping on top of each other at about 8 weeks, and the first girl started laying at 16 weeks. Everyone else was on board by 32 weeks.

The egg taste seems to depend on the breed and the feed. My runners produce eggs the size of jumbo chicken eggs. I have looked into the nutritional differences on the USDA web site. Here's what I remember.

Duck eggs have less water gram per gram than chicken eggs. They have more cholesterol, much more B12 and certain minerals.
There are some different amino acids in the proteins in the duck egg.

The cholesterol probably explains why they impart that rich flavor and texture to food. I eat them hard boiled, soft boiled, sunny side up, scrambled, in omelets, custard, bread, and brownies. The B12 makes them very helpful for vegetarians, I am told.