Will my ducks start laying this fall?

[chickens really]

I never feed my Ducks layer feed. I supply Oyster shell in a separate bowl.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I have Welsh harlequins and pilgrim geese that will be 20 weeks old this week. Since the days are getting shorter I'm not sure if they'll start laying this fall or if they'll wait til spring. My biggest concern is if I should I be starting them on layer feed or not...

Hi! We have five, 19 week old Welsh Harlequins too! I assumed that they wouldn’t lay until spring due to shortening days, but was surprised two weeks ago finding a presumed duck off on the floor of the run. Three more eggs followed in three days, as I tried to convince her to lay in the coop instead. Then she stopped until two days ago, when I found a duck egg on the floor of the coop. I think that the egg laying is confounding our free range efforts. We would walk them to our pond in the AM and they would stay until collected in the evening. On days when eggs were laid, the ducks would unexpectedly show up at coop at midday. Hope they convert to early morning laying, instead of afternoon!

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I have Welsh harlequins and pilgrim geese that will be 20 weeks old this week. Since the days are getting shorter I'm not sure if they'll start laying this fall or if they'll wait til spring. My biggest concern is if I should I be starting them on layer feed or not...

I am asking myself the same question about my three female Indian Runner ducks (~5 months old). Every-time i ask them »hey girls, what about some eggs for breakfast?« they look embarrasedly at each other, asking themselves »what is that human talking about? Eggs? What's that?« I don't think we will get any eggs this year, but who knows, one morning i step into my yard and "crack!"…
Reading through the whole thread, those »oyster shells« cought my attention: Is that a necessity for (almost) free ranging duckies too? My girls have almost a quarter acre to forage and sometimes they come back so filled they don't even touch their cracked-corn supper.

 

[PirateGirl]

I am asking myself the same question about my three female Indian Runner ducks. Every-time i ask them »hey girls, what about some eggs for breakfast?« they look embarrasedly at each other, asking each other »what is that human talking about? Eggs? What's that?« I don't think we will get any eggs this year, but who knows, one morning i step into my yard and "crack!"…
Reading through the whole thread, those »oyster shells« cought my attention: Is that a necessity for (almost) free ranging duckies too? My girls have almost a quarter acre to forage and sometimes they come back so filled they don't even touch their cracked-corn supper.

I would think oyster shell would be even more important for ducks that forage for most of their food because at different times of the year as their food supply varies, there is no telling how much calcium they are getting.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Do you have a way to stop them from tipping it over. My ducks tip over every single bowl/dish/container that I fill up with grit. I hope to avoid buying another galvanized feeder just for oyster she'll and grit .

No bowl stands a chance against a healthy duck! Mine manage to flip over those heavy 8 gallon rubber bowls from the farm store. First jump in, second remove the water by splashing around like you just escaped death valley, then finally try to balance on the rim. You are a master bowl-flipper duck if you won't flip the bowl upside down, but leave it standing on its side so that it will roll down the hill and your human must run after it.
You and your fellow Duckies enjoy the view…

 

[Miss Lydia]

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I am asking myself the same question about my three female Indian Runner ducks (~5 months old). Every-time i ask them »hey girls, what about some eggs for breakfast?« they look embarrasedly at each other, asking themselves »what is that human talking about? Eggs? What's that?« I don't think we will get any eggs this year, but who knows, one morning i step into my yard and "crack!"…
Reading through the whole thread, those »oyster shells« cought my attention: Is that a necessity for (almost) free ranging duckies too? My girls have almost a quarter acre to forage and sometimes they come back so filled they don't even touch their cracked-corn supper.

FWIW, I feed a locally mulled chicken starter/grower diet to our mixed flock, then have free choice oyster shell in a PVC feeder. Those first few duck eggs seemed thin shelled, so I’ve taken to giving the ducks dried, crumbled egg shells in a dish a few times a week. May have helped as the last duck egg had a thicker shell.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Mine get both egg shells and oyster shells. Hey if they like egg shells why not give some to them, sure cant hurt.

 

[lomine]

I feed Flock Raiser and oyster shell on the side year round. It just makes things easier with a mixed flock. For the oyster shell, I use one of those thick rubber feed bowls on top of an overturned plastic container so the bowl is off the ground and no ducks can climb in it. They will sometimes spill it when it's running out of oyster shell but for the most part they don't spill it. I think it's probably the chickens knocking it over as they try to perch on the side to reach in further.

I've seen my 23 week-old WH and Saxony hens eating the oyster shell but I haven't gotten any eggs. I'm getting less than 12 hours of daylight now so I don't think they will lay. Though it would be nice if they did.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

FWIW, I feed a locally mulled chicken starter/grower diet to our mixed flock, then have free choice oyster shell in a PVC feeder. Those first few duck eggs seemed thin shelled, so I’ve taken to giving the ducks dried, crumbled egg shells in a dish a few times a week. May have helped as the last duck egg had a thicker shell.

Yeah! Forgot to mention that our Duckies receive the shells of the chicken eggs we consume.