When Will They Lay?

[Mylied]

I got 4 ducks in July and was told they were about 4 months old. Two females are pekin and one is a khaki campbell. The male is a pekin. He's been dunking there heads in the water and we live in Georgia, so it's pretty warm. So, about when do they start laying?

 

[RodNTN]

I have never kept ducks before, so don't take my answer as one you can rely on, but I've read that Pekin females usually begin laying at around 5 or 6 months. So, just hang in there for about another month or two!

 

[RodNTN]

Btw, I meant to ask: How old are they now? Still four months?

 

[CntryBoy777]

Can't really say about the Pekins, but if the Khaki is a hen and she was 4months old in July she shoud already be laying. Mine started at the 17-19wk mark...we had 6 at the time, 5 now....I would think the Pekin should have also, because I believe they are 22-25 wks on the laying. They could be hiding them on ya. If ya keep them in the coop until 8:30-9am they will lay in the coop most of the time....the norm is between 5-8am depending on the syncing of the clock and sun. We do still find a few scattered about from time to time, but generally they are all in the coop when we turn them out for the day.

 

[Mylied]

They are in a small pen. Nowhere to hide them. They are around 7 months now and definitely girls. I thought maybe the weather was delaying it. They were good sized when I got them but are probably double that size now and really big. It's possible they are closer to six months. The guy was just guessing their age.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Well I see ya are close in line with me over here and mine started laying last Fall...they are about a yr and a half old now....and have laid ever since, thru Winter and all last year....our Rouens drop off some, but the Khakis keep on laying. Have you got them on laying pellets?....some of mine are in my avatar.

 

[Mylied]

Well I see ya are close in line with me over here and mine started laying last Fall...they are about a yr and a half old now....and have laid ever since, thru Winter and all last year....our Rouens drop off some, but the Khakis keep on laying. Have you got them on laying pellets?....some of mine are in my avatar.

I give them flock raiser because I have a mixed flock. I can add in oyster shells. I usually don't worry about them until I see eggs. I had ducks once before but traded them for guineas when they were really young so didn't get to the egg laying part.

 

[CntryBoy777]

I'm gonna add some guineas next year, but certainly wouldn't trade my ducks for anything. We got them the beginning of June 2016 and they were the very first we ever had....we love them and as long as we can get around and tend to animals we will always have some Khakis if nothing else, they are very entertaining to watch. That is why I want to add guineas too. I grew up having some and it was my job to watch them to see where there nests were....it kept a young boy busy on 180acres....

 

[Mylied]

Those first ducks were terrified of me despite me raising them from ducklings and I wasn't expecting the mess. That was several years ago. I felt more prepared this time and these ones are friendlier. I think guineas are great if you can free range. We kept our pair penned and they just make a racket at everything. I kept them about two years and then gave them to a retired guy, along with some old hens, to be backyard pets. He gets a kick out of them.

 

[CntryBoy777]

I had researcbed the ducks, but until ya experience the mess...ya really have no clue about what it really is.... ...but, what really vot us was the rate of growth on them. I tried to adjust the room for them, but we had 12 at one time and in 3wks they had outgrown the fully expanded brooder that I had built. I had to rush to get something built outside for them....it was at the end of June, so the temps weren't low and they already had most of their feathers....so, thankfully it worked out fairly well. Tho, it seemed they grew inches overnite and we had never seen anything grow that fast. We are fixing to send the chickens to freezer camp and will get some more chicks this next Spring. We have 20acres here, so we have plenty of room for more, but I prefer the ducks and a variety of entertainment....we are even getting a pair of saddle-back geese and 15 keets.