# Ducks for eggs??



## Pheasant283 (Mar 24, 2010)

Wife wants a few ducks for eggs, what breed is a good egg laying breed?


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## PonderosaQ (Jan 12, 2004)

I had some pekins that were good layers, magpies and silver swedish lay pretty well too. You can find info on line about the number each breed can be expected to lay each year.
I found them far more reliable layers than my chickens have ever been and their eggs are wonderful for baking.


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## Oxankle (Jun 20, 2003)

Khaki Campbells and Indian Runners are considered among the best egg layers. Campbells rival chickens in this regard.

My comment would be this: Unless you have a suitable marshland or pond for your ducks you will find them among the nastiest of fowl to raise. They are capable of making an incredible mess. Even too many on a pond will result in a foul smelling, muddy eyesore. This is why I no longer have them.


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

If they have enough space they aren't real messy. Pond water from ducks makes great fertigation pumped to your garden or pasture. Then use the fresh water you were going to water the garden with to freshen the pond.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Khaki Campbells and a kiddie pool. Use the water from the pool to water your garden. If you don't keep very many they don't get real messy. Khakis have the potential to lay better than a lot of chicken breeds. The ones I had quit laying for only 1 month in the winter and were given no supplemental light.


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

Campbells are the serious egg layers. A good strain will lay as many as 340 eggs in a year.

Runners are excellent layers, as many as 300 eggs per year. They are comical to watch and come in a marvelous assortment of colors. Hatchery runners look nothing like exhibition quality runners, so know what you are buying.

Harlequins lay just 10 or so fewer per year than the Campbells, and they are a pretty color. Basically, they are a Campbell in a lighter color.

I haven't had any problem with ducks being messy, but they do need duck appropriate housing.


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

I've had great luck with Khaki Campbells, Welsh Harlequins (quieter and cuter than the Khakis) and Anconas. Anconas are harder to find, but seem to lay well and are gorgeous with their wild color patterns. I find them to be very calm and a little larger than the Welsh Harlequins, who are larger than the Khakis. 

It's hard to pick a favorite, but the Welsh Harlequins seem to be better pets than the Khakis and lay as well. 

Here's some pictures of Khaki Campbells, Anconas and Welsh Harlequins (might as well have pretty egg layers!):

First one of my Anconas with the Welsh Harlequin in the background:










Khaki Campbell:










And a Welsh Harlequin:










Like I said, any of them ought to be pretty good for eggs. They can make a pretty good mess, but if you don't have too many of them and they have enough room, they'll be easy to care for. A half dozen ducks with a nice size pen and some access to a big yard won't be bad at all. I supply kiddie pools in the summer for bathing and contractor's concrete mixing tubs year 'round for them to splash in. I have about 20 ducks, they do make a bit of a mess, but I don't mind because they are so cute and I like the eggs. 

Love the eggs, they are bigger than a chicken egg, very filling and excellent for baking.


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## arcticow (Oct 8, 2006)

Second the vote for Harlequins and Campbells in that order, Harlequins are just easier to handle when need be. Khakis do seem to be better slug chasers.


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## HorseGirl31 (Apr 7, 2010)

I have a Campbell/Pekin cross that is a machine! EVERY day all during the warm months, prob. in the winter too it I had a light. She is super sweet too.


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## LFRJ (Dec 1, 2006)

Indian Runners. As reliable as the chickens, plus comic relief.


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

I don't have experience with Runners, but they do look funny and have a good reputation for laying. Maybe I need to get one or two this spring, I know a breeder locally..... NOooooo!!!! 

hehe


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

Khaki Cambells laid the best for me. They lay better than chickens.


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## Firefly (Dec 7, 2005)

I have runners and Cayugas. They lay well, but they tend to just drop eggs wherever they happen to be at the moment. Other than keeping them confined, is there a way to get them to at least use the coop, if not a nest in the coop?


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## mduncn52 (Sep 8, 2007)

I have 2 Black Swedish ducks that have been laying daily since Oct, 2009 at 20 wks (right on schedule) I provide light year round to assure 15 hours per day. These girls would not stop laying even when they were moulting. So I added kitten chow to their Layena to get about 22-24% crude protein and they feathered up beautifully. They don't lay every day. But 2 ducks lay 1 doz eggs per week. Wonderful, wonderful eggs. I love them hard cooked. also good fried on a hamburger with goat cheese. Ok I stole that from Micheal Symon, its called the Lola Burger at his restaurants here.


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## salmonslayer91 (Oct 10, 2010)

silver appleyard anyone? Large Bodied, Beautiful, great egg layers, great mothers, great foragers!


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## sipreanna (Sep 22, 2008)

I have some black swedish and some blue swedish ducks, and I couldn't keep up with the amount they were laying last spring. I ended up with a bunch of ducklings because one of the ducks hid a clutch in the sheep pen and I didn't catch it until it was too late. She hatched the entire clutch of 9 and raised them all. The great thing about the swedish breed is that they are just as good for meat as they are for eggs, so we ended up with a few ducks in the freezer


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

I have a few different kinds of ducks & they all lay really well. Not in the winter months here because I give them No artificial light, my mom gives her's light & they will lay almost year around except when molting.

I vote for the Indian runners, Love mine! They naturally don't fly so if your trying to keep them out of a fenced garden, etc. not nned to worry or clip a wing. I also have Trout Runners but they are not as heavy a layer as the Indian Runners.
I would say they lay better than chickens & very comical to watch.


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## 99RB (Apr 5, 2008)

peekins and the ones that look like mallards both do grate.
they only lay a short tim each year


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

Silver Appleyard, Pekin, Rouen are all meat breeds. They do lay well, but tend to be more seasonal as they were bred to reproduce in the spring, then the ducklings grow out quickly for the freezer. The eggs are huge. They are very calm ducks and good pets though.


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