Will they ever start laying!?

[AdamD77]

So my 4 runner girls were hatched some time in April this year, making them 7-8 months old now and they still haven't started laying yet! I would have thought at least one of them would have started by now...?

I'm assuming the odds of having 4 girls who don't lay is extremely miniscule and am sure they will start soon, possibly in a month or two when there's more light, but it's a bit annoying now as me and my mum have been checking for eggs for 2 or 3 months now with no result... My dad is starting to get impatient too, since one of the reasons he agreed to getting 4 girls on top of the 2 boys we'd already had for a year was for the eggs!

What's the latest you have experienced a duck starting to lay and what do you make of my current situation?

 

[treldib]

Well our 2 ducks hatched July 20th and our Golden 300 started at about 17 1/2 weeks (incredibly early) and hasn't stopped since but the Black Swede still has not started.

I suggest adding additional light to their sleeping area. Ducks need 14-17 hours of light a day to lay eggs. I have a lightbulb that goes on 3 hours before sunrise every morning and turns off when the sun starts to come up (its on a timer). Without the additional light they may not lay until Spring.

Edited to fix errors

 

[crash0330]

Treldib is right ducks and chickens need light in order for them to start laying eggs, a light to complete 17 hours of light should help.
But perhaps if you live in a really cold climate that might affect them too.
BTW I have some Rouens and they started laying at exactly 5 months.