Will a duck lay their first egg in Winter?

[BackyardAnimalsDucks]

So i’m in north carolina and the average low in winter is 35. My two ducks (welsh harlequins) will reach the age where they would lay eggs in early january. Will they lay?

 

[Jpat]

My kahki campbell came of age at the end of january and laid eggs every couple days, But most wait till spring. i wish she had of waited because every egg she laid froze solid by morning

The main trigger is daylight, i know people here who use lights on timers in the coop to give their chickens 15 hours of light daily. it tricks their systems into laying... The issue being they lay way more eggs a year then they are supposed to and it can cause other issues

 

[sourland]

Egglaying is largely impacted by day length - more so than age of the bird. They may or may not start laying in January, but are more likely to wait until spring.

 

[FortCluck]

I have three Pekins and a Muscovy that should be laying at that time too, I'm in VA. I was told that they probably will lay because we don't have a harsh winter, I think you guys probably have better weather than we do.

 

[Texag87]

Ours were hatched in September last year and started sporadic laying in February. By the end of February, there was an egg for every hen. They were at my parents which is pretty open. Now at our new place I am not sure they would have started until March because of the woods and less daylights. Since we moved here a couple weeks ago only one is laying every day. Shorter days and the woods mean less daylight.

 

[caymusjordan]

One of our almost 5 month old girls just laid her first egg last night! We got hit hard this week with over a foot of snow and below freezing temps all week so I was shocked to see an egg in the coop this morning! We will have to toss it since it could be from Chips who has been on antibiotics for the past month - but still exciting!

 

[Quack head]

My current Silver Appleyard started laying in October with a egg a day for three weeks, now she stopped. Prior Appleyard was laying eggs on a daily basis then we lost her to a predator. We are in Mid Tennessee and the temps the last week has been below freezing at night and only in the 50's during the day. They are still enjoying our 1/2 acre farm pond during the day and we are enjoying watching them from inside the cabin.

 

[Loopeend]

Mine (born july-agust) start laying in octobre too. That's at 11 hours daylight; 10 degrees celcius/50 degrees fahrenheit.

They are Indian runner though; good egg-layers that (atleast from the lines over here) lay 365 days a year. Also with much less daylight and way colder.