You can also check the color of the beaks. Exhibition Rouens lay only 25-125 eggs per year. Just keep a close eye on her next time she lays and egg. Once the nest is built, egg laying will begin from 1-3 days. She sounds okay. I received an order of ducks back in Feb. I understand your frustration, though. What is going on with the egg laying & what seems like mating with the ducklings? Recently, we had a series of sunny mornings, and we were getting plenty of eggs (and the ducks are in a mobile pen without a roof, so they can see the moment the sun comes up). While they do lay eggs, they are not known to be a substantial layer. My ducks free range, and I herd them to bed every night. Ive never heard of a duckling prematurely laying an egg. Have you ever actually witnessed a duck laying an egg? Let me know if you have any other questions. Mating has nothing to do with laying eggs. Ducks that are prone to going broody usually do so when they feel their clutch is nearly complete. Bailey is very interested in my 9 week old females. Individual ducks are different. They are not good fliers since they are so large. How To Stop Your Duck From Hiding Her Eggs, Beginners Guide to Hatching Duck Eggs and Raising Ducklings, Artificial Incubation vs. Natural Incubation, How to Sex Ducks and Ducklings: What Works and What Doesnt, 10 Effective Ways To Sex Your Muscovy Duck (With Pictures), Aggressive Ducks: Why drakes attack and how to permanently stop aggression, 25 Ways to Keep Your Ducks Healthy and Prevent Disease. . Can 1 duck be raised with chickens? If you dont have the facilities to care for ducklings or a plan for what to do with them when they grow up, or if you simply dont want ducklings, then I would recommend taking away all of their eggs. do NOT contact me with unsolicited services . a pair of wild Mallards are visiting our yard every day. Ducks usually lay their eggs during the dawn 4 am to 8 am. Rouen ducks lay between 140-180 eggs per year, and are fair setters. Refrigerated eggs last two months or more. Ducks lay eggs that are much larger than chicken eggs. They have been bred by poultry enthusiasts all over the world as the ultimate show duck since its inception into the APA in 1874. He was chasing the ducklings & pulling their feathers. ALL the ducklings were spooked by the agressiveness of a large hybrid drake (several years of age someone had given to me last summer & the ONLY drake we own). In this article, well tell you everything you need to know! First time quail owner: what should I know? Muscovies usually start laying when theyre about six months, or 25 weeks of age unless they reach this age during fall or winter. They're poor layers, producing only 35 to 125 eggs yearly but make fine roasting ducks and have abundant, delicately flavored flesh. As far as the cost of bedding, are you sure youve found the cheapest option? Plus, Rouens are slow-moving and unlikely to fly away. Today they mated in the pool. Unwashed, unrefrigerated eggs should last at least two weeks. I dont know if thats enough stress to cause a duck to not lay, but its a possibility. Theyre average, at best, producing approximately 125-225 eggs a year. What month do ducks lay eggs? Why Arent My Ducks Laying Eggs? Rouen ducks will maintain a rate of 50% (in other words, if you have 50 hens, only 25 eggs are produced) for 5 months. It could be just a teenage thing that has to do with their maturing. My questions are A ducks pelvic bones spread and become flexible when she is capable of laying eggs. Ducks will lay even if theyre never mated. Duck eggs have a few differences from chicken eggs: Maybe. Every "my ducks aren't laying eggs!" case I've ever heard of can be attributed to one or more of these fifteen causes: She's not old enough. My Muscovies will often lay a dozen eggs before they go broody (and Ive had multiple 100% hatch rates with those, which shows that the 1-week mark is only a generalized mark and that eggs can still hatch even after theyve been laying around for twelve days!). Plus, theyll be quite large by the time they are finished, too, often reaching nine or ten pounds by the time they get to your kitchen. She still needs companionship. The nest bowl is 7-8 inches in diameter and 1-2 inches deep. For some reason, domestic Muscovies rarely go broody on their first clutch. Duck eggs are larger, usually equivalent to one and a half to two chicken eggs. All the Muscovies Ive ever had, as best as I can remember, behaved with what seemed to be irrational skittishness for about a month when they were growing up. Broodiness in breeds that lay continuously rather than laying in clutches (like Runners) is very unpredictable. Many people put fake eggs, such as golf balls, in the nests, with the intention of showing the hens that it's a safe place to lay. Theyll then sit quietly on their eggs, only taking small breaks. Also, eggs should generally be incubated within a week after being laid. There are two distinct types of Rouen ducks one is the industrial breed that is used for eggs and meat. Dont expect them to be in a nest box. It depends on the breed, strain, and individual. Because we want a source of eggs that isnt from hens in battery cages that never see sunlight or grass. Theyll eat up before laying eggs, as well as line their nest with down feathers. Now they lay in the nest box with the clean hay instead of anywhere. My ducks will lay a clutch, stop laying for a couple weeks, and then lay another clutch. In 1861, Mrs. Beeton said of it: The Rouen, or Rhone duck, is a large and handsome variety, of French extraction. It would probably be best to wait a little while, at least a week or two, before trying to hatch her eggs. Should I take them since we are in November and it is starting to get cold? If she was actually LAYING an egg, she probably wouldnt have been on the nest long anyway. Im considering to start taking those eggs for food. You can look up images online of what the eggs should look like when you candle it, but in general, if an egg has blood vessels, its good, and if it doesnt, you should remove it. At least one of the ducks continues to lay eggs around our pool and in random areas of our yard. Its possible she eats the eggs, but I think you would have noticed at some point. The average clutch size is around five to ten white eggs, which hatch in around four weeks (if the hen does not accidentally crush them first). While some Rouen hens can lay up to 125 eggs annually, the minimum annual threshold is 35 eggs. They lay eggs consistently throughout the year but might destroy them. Thank you for the advice! We use the Dumor feed plus I add mealworm to their feed. Thats because it is somewhat unreliable when it comes to its laying habits. Theyre fun, but youre wondering when youll get the rewards of all the work and money youve put into them. (Its been several hours now and the temperature is 42F) Although these birds are somewhat slow to mature, taking up to eight months to be ready for the table, they have abundant, delicate-tasting flesh that is perfect for roasting. Why is it worth it? Later I threw out another 1, and finally after 32 days, 14 ducklings hatched (2 were unknown or stolen by rats). (Also, the drake has nothing to do with whether she lays eggs or goes broody. This webpage has a good image of a fertilized egg: https://www.hobbyfarms.com/fertilized-eggs-how-tell/. If she lays more or if they both start laying and One starts brooding. If you have a pond, she could be dropping the eggs in the pond. They lay eggs consistently throughout the year but might destroy them. You can tell if a duck is laying by feeling her pelvic bones as you hold her. Do you have suggestions for a way to get our ducks to start nesting in a particular area so that we can track the timing of their egg laying? Since these ducks arent particularly quick-moving, you need to make sure there are systems in place to keep them safe from harm. My females walk everywhere that my males go they are always in a group together and never separate more than 15 -20 feet from each other. One cloudy morning, and we only got one egg that day. Some will lay their egg within 10-15 minutes of entering the nest box. If for some reason the duck doesn't lay eggs that morning its cycle resets and starts from the next dawn again. So Id suggest looking for eggs every morning. Im so sorry for your frustration and I really hope Ive given you some ideas for reducing the expenses! They have deep, level, and straight keels, and a horizontal body carriage should be valued above all others. They are vigorous and healthy. Ducks lay eggs without the presence of a drake. They cant keep them due to lack of space or having too many males, they dont want to eat the males, and no one else wants to adopt all the extra males. Many people assume that duck and chicken size will correspond with egg size, but interestingly, some dual-purpose duck breeds (like Anacondas) lay eggs that are much larger than you would expect for the duck's size. Heres how: Some ducks love to go broody and try to hatch their eggs. Or is there something wrong? The eggs are typically white but can have blue and green tints. Its not going to hurt anything to touch the eggs. Make sure your ducks have free-choice access to a source of calcium (oyster shell or crushed eggshells). I dont think you can really prevent it. Check out this article: https://www.raising-ducks.com/ducks-not-laying/. Read more here: https://www.raising-ducks.com/10-best-duck-breeds-for-eggs/. One is a white layer and my other is a runner. do i need to separate those ducklings? Also, ducks often start mating when theyre around four months old, which may be months before they start laying eggs. Rouen ducks only lay about 125 eggs per year at best. Im not saying its impossible for a Runner or white layer to go broody, since it certainly can happen, but its unlikely. I bought them not knowing the sex and I am still trying to determine their sex. They are happy and healthy. Are Rouen ducks good for meat? However, thats an unrealistic goal for many people as it requires land and the time and ability to work in a garden. My female turned out to be a very good mother for her first clutch. Just keep it free from a draft. 10 Effective Ways to Sex Your Muscovy Duck (With Pictures), Why Aren't My Ducks Laying Eggs? However, if raised for exhibition purposes and given the best possible care, it is entirely likely that your Rouen ducks can live up to eight to twelve years. Often, why arent my ducks laying? cases can be blamed on the weather and climate. I retrieve the clean eggs from the nest boxes daily, rearrange the hay and put the fake egg on top. However, if youre looking for an attractive species with gorgeous plumage and a friendly, easy-going demeanor, you may want to add the Rouen duck breed to your shortlist of potential breeds to consider! You wont have to erect tall fences or worry about them wandering off. Originally raised as a roasting bird for meat, it was occasionally raised as a dual-purpose duck since it produced up to 125 eggs each year. The Black and Chocolate Runners will usually have a "sooty" outer shell at the beginning of their laying season. Males will have a green head with a white collar, a grey body, and have black tail feathers. And because we just love our ducks. 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