4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[TheChookKeeper]

Hello,

 

I am looking for a definitive answer. I own 3 books on keeping ducks, all aimed at different levels of knowledge, and they all seem to say different things about egg laying in ducks.

 

I have a male and a female Silver Appleyard (I think one may be crossed with something else though, but pretty much looks right!).

I bought them back in the Summer as tiny babies - plenty big enough to go outside, but without proper wings or anything.

 

Anyway - I read that they reach sexual maturity after about 18-24 weeks - mine are well past that now, but have shown no interest in anything of the sort. I don't plan to hatch any (yet, anyway), but would like to have an egg for my breakfast!

(I bought them thinking they were both female, but I was wrong!, that's another story!)

 

One book says they start laying in the spring, and stop in late autumn, which would fit with what mine are (not) doing, but the other says that ducks were always used to provide eggs through the winter, as chickens would stop laying.

 

These two ideas seem to contradict eachother completely. Can someone clear it up for me? And tell me when little Alice may decide to grace my plate with an egg?!?

[Lesley]

It would depend on when in summer they were hatched - if they reach the usual age of POL at this time of year then it is usually a bit delayed.

 

Does that make sense?

 

We hatched some hen chicks in mid June - they would normally be POL around early November but are still not laying yet. They should start soon.

 

Just give your ducks a few more weeks - perhaps you'll get a New Year's Day

[OverWyreGrower]

We got some ducks in September as babies, and then got a pair of runners in October to add to the mix...

 

The Khaki's reached POL this week, and Mary, the female Runner was POL when we got her but we haven't yet had any eggs.

 

On consulting with the seller of the Runner ducks, she confirmed that we probably won't get any eggs until New Year, due to the lack of daylight...

 

I've also had a couple of other duck people tell me this...

 

I've never heard of ducks laying through the winter, although I suppose it would depend what breed they were

[Lesley]

Our White Campbells moulted in late summer and they started laying about the beginning of November. They lay nearly all year round.

 

We added an Indian Runner last Spring - but she's never laid an egg!

[stoneleigh17]

Hi there

 

I've got 3 silver appleyards- 2 ducks and a drake- which were born in July 2007.

 

The girls didn't start laying until mid February this year, but then laid continuously until August. They may have laid for longer but we had an unsuccessful fox attack that may have shaken them up.

 

I'm hoping that they will begin to lay again in just over a months time.

 

I'm sure your pair will follow the same pattern.

 

Julie