# Ducks still aren't laying??



## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

My ducks last year started laying about the end of January. Well were now in the middle of Febuary & still NO Eggs! I don't give any artificial light & didn't last year either.

They get a egg layer chicken feed, I can't remember if it's 16% or 18% protein & I mix in a little cracked corn, also scraps every other day or so like veggies &/or pasta, etc.

I'm thinking of getting a bag of regular duck food, less protein & not for layers & then switch back to their layer food. Thinking maybe this will jump start them?
Is that a good or bad idea? Maybe I am just being impatient but I sure miss our duck eggs.


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## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

Are they hiding them? My ducks like to literally bury their eggs(not joking). I found the random egg sitting in a dirt filled stall in the barn, behind a feed barrel.(practically had to be on my hands and knees to see it). Picked it up and found a couple half buried ones beneath that. Dug down in that spot and found 7-8 that were completely buried. Silly ducks.


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

Mine tend not to lay till february. I've gotten a few duck eggs (my first of the year) so far, but only for about the past week or so. Chicken production has started to go up, too.


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## mommagoose_99 (Jan 25, 2005)

It has been extra cold dark and gloomy here in NY. I do not expect any waterfowl action until there is more heat and light. I would give them more food and protein rather than less to get eggs. I just started feeding more suet and cat food to my chickens and geese. The geese will eat the cat food . I also sprinkled some oyster shell for my geese and have been letting them eat egg shells from the chickens. I sell goose eggs for carving and I have a lot of orders. It would be nice to get an early start on the goose eggs this year I have 5 layers.
Linda


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

My layers are starting to get going, but still not up to normal for spring. I'd suggest taking out the cracked corn (lowers protein) and adding something with more protein to get them laying. I bought a couple of bags of game bird feed (19% protein) and am mixing it 1/2 and 1/2 with the layer feed to improve laying and condition the eggs for hatching. I want really well nourished ducks for eggs to hatch. 

My older ducks are slower, though still getting eggs from my Welsh Harlequin every few days and she's 7 years old! I'm going to try to hatch some 3/4 WH ducklings from her this spring. 

We were down to about one egg a day in the middle of the cold nasty winter, not surprising since most of my ducks are older. I've got my Saxonys separated out for breeding, but they don't seem convinced that it's spring yet - for three girls I'm getting usually one egg a day, sometimes two and the boys aren't really breeding yet that I can see. At least when they are the eggs will be pure. 

I'm looking forward to spring!


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

I don't think they are hiding the eggs because I have been really looking. I just figured because they started so early last year I was expecting the same thisng this year.

Granny Carol, going to the feed store anyways today so I'll pick up a game bird feed & mix it with their regular feed & see if that helps.

Thanks everyone, sure would be nice to get my own eggs instead of buying at the store!


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

Be sure to check the protein levels, some of the game bird feeds I looked at were way too high. Get something higher than your layer feed though.


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## countrygurl (Dec 23, 2002)

had rouns (non flying mallards) for several years when they first started laying they would drop eggs as they walked around the yard, even find eggs in the pond, as the weeks went on then they would lay in a nest. this year we have muscoveys. they went to staight laying in a nest which they like to lay in hollow tree stumps, easy for us. when we discovered 2 nest each hen had about 30 eggs so we took 1/2 from each hen and place in the incubator they other 2 hens have not went broody yet so we are taking there eggs and have some plastic eggs in the nest so they will continue to use the nest. I never did like muscoveys, but they are great bug eaters and roost in the trees.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

My ducks are assorted kinds, I have a White crested, an ancona, trout & Indian runners.
They are penned & usually would lay in a nest in there house all last year. We do have quite a bit of snow still & I have even looked around their yard for eggs, in the house, etc. No eggs.

Granny Carol, my feed store has what they call a gamebird conditioner, it is in pellet form & has 20% protein, is this what your talking about? My egg maker I beleive is either 16 or 18%, I forgot to look at the bag last night. I have used the same egg layer feed since I got the ducks 1 1/2 years ago.


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

Yes, game bird conditioner is what I was talking about, sorry I misremembered the protein - knew it was somewhere around there.  

BTW, your ducks will slow down a bit as they age, but I'm still getting eggs from my 7 yr old pets.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

My oldest ducks are only about 1 1/2 years old now so they should be OK for awhile I hope.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

Wanted to let everyone know I got my first egg of the year yesterday & another today. It is from my White crested hen. She also started first last year & lays a pretty big egg.

I know it's probly not the adding the gamebird conditioner & cutting out the corn since it has only been a few days for that, they were probly getting ready to start laying anyways & I was just impatient!
The others most likely will start next week, or at least that's how it worked out last winter.


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

It's always hard to wait. I have someone that's going to want eggs to hatch from my Saxonys pretty soon and they are not really laying consistently yet. Big breeds ARE slower. Egg production is gearing up for spring in the smaller ducks, so they won't be far behind.


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