Sara_H Posted September 24, 2010 Share Posted September 24, 2010 Hi! Quick question... I have two female Magpie Aylesbury cross ducks - Lavender and Dyllis - (and one male Indian Runner duck- Indiana Jones!) and they stopped laying about two months ago. I have treated my girls and their wooden hut for red mite as I was worried this could be the cause. However they still havent laid. I have also given them doses of Verm-X as I was worried they may have an internal parasite - but this also hasn't helped. they are outside from sunrise until sunset at he moment so they are getting plenty of daylight. I am still baffled as to why they have stopped laying. Does anyone have any ideas as to why they may have stopped laying and any solutions I could try? They seem in good health and perfectly perky - just no eggs. They are only 18months old too so not too old. Thanks for your help! Sara x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky1 Posted September 24, 2010 Share Posted September 24, 2010 Hi Sara Do the ducks free range in a large area? Could they be laying out somewhere? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donald Posted September 25, 2010 Share Posted September 25, 2010 Ducks can drop eggs about anywhere and they do bury them in their bedding as well particularly if they have shavings. Also they will have periods of rest, some time out.Be patient they will start up again Donald Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara_H Posted September 27, 2010 Author Share Posted September 27, 2010 Great! Thank you! I'll investigate the garden later - as they do have about half an acre to roam around in. I shall sit tight and wait if I cant find anything. They always seem too busy lto la eggs anyway, always dashing about looking for snails etc! Thanks again! x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayjay Posted September 28, 2010 Share Posted September 28, 2010 Hi S My 2 have also stopped laying. The duck lady (where we got them from) said this is perfectly normal, they are having their 'should be looking after chicks' rest and will start laying again soon enough. I too am patiently waiting to get back to my fresh duck eggs in the morning. I can just imagine my pair saying - "we're not egg laying machines you know" - they have, what I can only call 'attitude'!! JJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donald Posted September 29, 2010 Share Posted September 29, 2010 As it gets darker they will stop laying as they do need sunshine to stimulate ovulation(something we havent had much of this summer)! Saying that I have had ducks that laid all winter before! donald Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted October 1, 2010 Share Posted October 1, 2010 Our Campbells lay through the winter - very helpful when the hens have stopped laying! I should imagine that yours are just off lay for a while and having a rest - they should start again soon. We thought ours were doing this but then found a nest with 10 eggs in the other day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayjay Posted October 1, 2010 Share Posted October 1, 2010 Are your ducks laying at the minute L? Mine are not and are not interested in their layers pellets either. They are FR all day and eating mixed grain butnot really keen on pellets. Not an egg in sight. Duck lady says there may be no eggs until March??? JJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky1 Posted October 1, 2010 Share Posted October 1, 2010 Hi JJ We're getting 5/6 eggs a day from seven ducks Nothing from the drakes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayjay Posted October 2, 2010 Share Posted October 2, 2010 What am I doing wrong then? Are they laying somewhere else? They don't seem to be wandering far so haven't seen any sight of a nest or anything. Thought they should be laying again by now but not a sausage or even an egg! JJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky1 Posted October 2, 2010 Share Posted October 2, 2010 What am I doing wrong then? Are they laying somewhere else? They don't seem to be wandering far so haven't seen any sight of a nest or anything. Thought they should be laying again by now but not a sausage or even an egg! JJ Well we know that Quacks has a nest, which so far we haven't disturbed, and Maisey did have a nest earlier. Maisey has given up her nest but she has come back as "Woman with attitude" God help any chooks that get in her way OH is very good at finding their nests which are usually in the middle of brambles and such like. I could send her over for a small holiday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 They may be better if they are eating pellets - I only give grain in the afternoon, after they've eaten a proper ration of pellets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusky123 Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 My ducks have stopped laying as well, I usually get 4 or 5 eggs a day from my 5 runner ducks. I have been bartering the eggs for lovely home grown fruit and veg with my neighbours and suppling my restaurant, loads of orders for poached duck eggs. I have not have an egg for about a month now , no secret nests in the bushes or eggs laid in the pond. I introduced a new duck ( had a new bigger duckpond built and the builder gave me a fertile egg to hatch) about 6 weeks ago. La Quinta,Chucky for short, named after the 1st Italian to score a goal in the world cup is HUGE, thought he was a goose at first, he was twice the size of my runners at 4 weeks and I know I have to find a good home for him. The runners are so scatty-brained they are probably upset at the new arrival, who decided to bed down for the night with them instead of going into his own house. I am feeding my ducks the usual fare, layers pellets and a lettuce in the morning, pellets and grain in the afternoon, with the occasional packet of dried meal worms as a treat. Their home is a 5 ft by 2 ft by 2ft rabbit hutch, perhaps I should get them a bigger home although there seemed room to spare when I had 7 ducks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roodles57 Posted December 12, 2010 Share Posted December 12, 2010 My ducks have also stopped laying. I have three young females who wont lay til next spring but i also have four adult ducks who havent laid for 5 weeks and 2 adult drakes. We think it may be because onehas been moulting, the cold weather, shorter daylight hours or friction between the males in the shed overnight. In the summer the 2 adult males are kept seperately with their females, but have all banded together since september (they were all laying then) I would suggest that overcrowding may be your problem. perhaps its mine too. We still have a young pair to sell on. Ducks often drop their eggs in a pond so check there too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
