- The Happy Chicken Coop - All Rights Reserved. The Ducklings Hatched and Left 5. Female Rouen Ducks tend to be a beautiful shade of mahogany, with brown crowns and tan eye stripes that extend from the back of the eyes and down the bill. If she does go broody, then yes, she will incubate the eggs and take care of the babies once they hatch. Do you mean that the Ameracaunas and guinea hen are in with the ducklings, or with the other adult ducks? Some Muscovies go broody on every single clutch they lay. The only problem is, I dont recommend feeding wild ducklings. Thank you for the reply. Can I eat duck eggs if Im allergic to chicken eggs? They lay eggs consistently throughout the year but might destroy them. If they dont fry in the sun, eggs do last a long time. It can be somewhat challenging to find Rouen ducks for sale, as they are listed as a watch status by the Livestock Conservancy. Rouen: grows up to 9 lbs ; Muscovy: grows up to 14 lbs; Saxony: grows . Ive never heard of that happening before. What are you feeding them? Look for a white ring around the neck. Something is stealing the eggs. This is what I feel is the most likely reasonthe length of the day. For example, some people are allergic to ovotransferrin, which is only found in very low quantities in duck eggs. Rouen ducks start breeding at six months old and the females start laying eggs when they are around 25-30 weeks old. Also, if shes alone, shes lonely. There is technically a subtle visible difference: unfertilized eggs have a blastodisc and fertilized eggs have a blastoderm. I have had them a year this spring and I have seen them matting this past fall but no eggs. Heres a video of two of my Muscovy ducks, Peaches and Mitzi, laying their eggs: Many ducks lay one egg a day, nearly every day. If not, take them. So what few eggs you do happen to get may not even make it to your dinner table. Do you mean the ducks have been throwing some of the eggs out? If she lays more or if they both start laying and One starts brooding. They are larger than chicken eggs though the duck egg yolk is of similar size. Some will lay their egg within 10-15 minutes of entering the nest box. How many eggs a duck can produce is limited by genetics, but there are a few things you can do to ensure optimum egg production: If your ducks arent laying eggs or arent laying as many as you think they should, it could be because theyre too young or too old, theyre not female, the days are too short, something is stealing the eggs, theyre hiding the eggs, theyre not receiving proper nutrition, theyre molting, theyre stressed, or other reasons. Less productive layers are usually more prone to going broody, and thus they are also more prone to seeking out, building, and using nests. After they start laying, they could go broody in a week or two, or they might not at all. They will lay every day for a series of days, usually five to twenty days, and then they will either go broody and stop laying, or simply stop laying without going broody. Unwashed, unrefrigerated eggs should last at least two weeks. . 1. However, thats an unrealistic goal for many people as it requires land and the time and ability to work in a garden. I think a duck should really have at least one other companion of her own species. The exact age when they stop laying, however, varies, depending on the breed and how hard you have pushed them to lay. I have 3 female ducks and they have been sitting on eggs since may 26th I know this is to long. Duck eggs are larger, usually equivalent to one and a half to two chicken eggs. Its not wrong to want to hatch a ducks eggs or anything, but I see way too many people wanting to hatch eggs for fun and then having no idea what to do with the babies. Ducks decide whether or not to lay based on the length of the day, and if shes only outside for a few hours or not at all, the days would seem very short to her and she probably wouldnt lay. Rouen Mallard duck eggs $20 a dozen Tolbunt Polish ( 1 frizzle and 1 straight feathers hen with a straight rooster) $15 a dozen Silkie (Mixture of colors but full . If she brings her ducklings to your yard, Id recommend either not feeding them or only feeding them very small amounts until theyre a few weeks old, and even then, make sure they dont start to rely on you for food. Whatever sex they are it must be the same as I cant tell them apart. Jan 14, 2018 #8 GeoGreyWolf He only ensures that the eggs will actually hatch. The eggs will be far healthier, but theyre almost guaranteed to cost you a lot more. Wowmost people cant believe how fast their ducks grow up! I received an order of ducks back in Feb. Refrigerated eggs last two months or more. Theyve gotten used to it, so they generally hang around near their pen while the sun is going down, and then its easy to get them in. Bantam duck eggs are usually 50-55 grams (1.8-1.9 oz), while Pekin eggs can weigh 100 grams or sometimes even more. They lay eggs consistently throughout the year but might destroy them. For example, a Muscovy duck can lay 15 eggs in one laying cycle. It may or may not be normal. If you do, dont put her alone. Some ducks lay around 4:30 AM. Is she in a barn all day? However, some ducks lay blue, green, cream, black, or gray eggs. I dont think anythings wrong, though. It gives 15 reasons why ducks might not be laying eggs. If there are 13 eggs, then the oldest egg is at least 13 days old. Duck eggs are laid typically between March and late July. Since most people keep their ducks for eggs, new duck owners often have questions about duck eggs and duck egglaying habits. Try to prevent or minimize sources of stress for your ducks. So are Rouen ducks right for you and your backyard flock? Join More Than 15,000 Chicken Enthusiasts Who Have Already Subscribed. How do we know if the eggs are still good to eat when we cant track the actual time our ducks are laying the eggs? I imagine she will nest near the pond. If eggs are your only priority, you might consider Indian Runners, Khaki Campbells, Silver Appleyards, Anconas, or Welsh Harlequins instead, all of which not only lay far more than Pekins, but are also better foragers and have lower feed consumption levels than Pekins. Obviously, if you are raising Rouen ducks for meat, you arent going to let your ducks get much older than a year or so old! So yes, its possible to own ducks and make a profit. Another disadvantage of raising Rouen ducks for eggs is that the females tend to crush the eggs when they set on them since their frames are so massive. It is a local breeds we have in Uganda. 15 Reasons, This site uses cookies. Theyre often called fairy eggs.. Long story short. Hi in have a flock of 9 silver appleyards and they dont seem to be laying. Both species, however, have bright blue speculum feathers, though Rouens are larger and brighter in color. They need a friend of their own kind. Females often crush the eggs by mistake. This article might help you: https://www.raising-ducks.com/ducks-not-laying/ If I plan to keep the eggs for food, how long out are they still good to eat? Im not sure about wild ducks, but I know that my Muscovies definitely dont sit on every clutch they lay, so perhaps they arent intending to hatch these eggs and will never return, especially if its too cold now. One is in the feed area (she deserves her very own blog post), and the other is in the duck pen. If she really was broody, the eggs would unfortunately have died from going that long without warmth. We also own 2 Silver Appleyard females 15 months of age whove bonded with the drake but largely ignore the female ducklings at best but not agressive towards them. It varies, of coursemating can start as early as three months or as late as six months. 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. Her friends and family are the lucky beneficiaries of her culinary skills! This makes them easy to handle if you wish to raise ducks for pets or exhibitions. As we've . A blastodisc looks like a whitish circular blob on the egg yolk. I dont know if thats enough stress to cause a duck to not lay, but its a possibility. But they do offer a charismatic appeal to any backyard flock. It depends on the breed, strain, and individual. Though this breed originated in France, the Rouen duck breed didnt really start to gain traction until it was introduced to England in the 1800s. After theyre a week old, hatchability goes down quickly. The days are too short. Bailey is very interested in my 9 week old females. Here, it was further refined from its early, rudimentary version into the breed that we recognize as the modern Rouen. It takes quite a while for Rouen ducks to reach maturity for egg-laying purposes, too. Its not the best idea to have two drakes and only one female, since they can overmate her and kill her. Many ducks prefer a natural floor. Depending on the breed and the season, you can expect your first eggs when your ducks are 4-7 months old, or when breeding season starts. They have laid 3 eggs so far beginning this past Saturday, but neither female has nested them. How can you tell if a Rouen Duckling is male or female? No Contact pickup available. These ducks arent the best layers around. If you have a pond, she could be dropping the eggs in the pond. I thought I ordered all male ducks, but low an behold I have a female duck. Unless the ducklings are alone in the pen you found the egg in, I would suspect that the egg came from one of the Ameracaunas or the guinea. Pick all the eggs. How long do Rouen ducks sit on their eggs? ), I Found a Hidden Nest! ), I Found a Hidden Nest! do i need to separate those ducklings? So what few eggs you do happen to get may not even make it to your dinner table. It is under one per week. Ducks reach eggopause and stop laying eggs when theyre 5-10 years old. It isnt going to save you any money. How long does it take for a Rouen duck to mature? Frequent weather changes might also mess up her laying. Or its possible that growing feathers makes them sensitive and tender, because Ive noticed that all my ducks become skittish during every molt. The exact age rather depends on the breed of duck. One of my female Rouen ducks finally laid an egg this morning but it was cold and she will not sit on it. I never mistreated her. I have a Cayuga and she laid her first egg today but seemed stressed and quiet fast paced breathing when I brought her in for the night Im not sure I never had a female egg laying duck just a drake Muskovi as a pet she seems normal otherwise maybe just tired Im not sure. Save my name, email, and site URL in my browser for next time I post a comment. It has a round head and a medium-size, concave bill. Let me know if you have any other questions. Rouen ducks start breeding at six months old and the females start laying eggs when they are around 25-30 weeks old. The eggs are typically white but can have blue and green tints. We live in Southwest Georgia so it typically doesnt get too cold here though. I have 5 females and 2 male Pekin ducks. I will continue with Ruene ducks. This can cause serious problems with breeding for drakes. Its not going to hurt anything to touch the eggs. 12 Things You Need to Know About Caring for Ducklings. Ducks and chickens both occasionally have a slight malfunction in their system and lay a misshapen, small, or soft-shelled egg. Im starting to wonder if this was really worth it or if I just wasted $100s. She's eating the eggs. She loves to cook and bake, and shes always experimenting with new recipes. Okay, that protein content is way too low. Then I got the bright idea to build a wooden nest box and bought some fake duck eggs. 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. If it's off, the yolk will be flatter and discoloured and the egg white will be far runnier. Im not saying its impossible for a Runner or white layer to go broody, since it certainly can happen, but its unlikely. Unfortunately, Rouen ducks are not the best breed to raise if you hope to raise ducks for eggs. Some ducks, especially heavy layers like Runners, have little to no nesting instincts and will just lay their eggs wherever they happen to be standing. They need to learn how to find their own food as soon as possible, while theyre still young, or they may never learn and could starve if they ever leave your place. Ive already written an article on how to sex muscovy ducks: http://www.raising-ducks.com/determining-muscovy-gender/ By three months old, it should actually be fairly easy to tell the males and females apart. Two other things Id like to mention: Runner ducks lay an egg color that is somewhere between white and blue-green. It is Dumor. However, you wont be allowing the bird to grow to its largest potential size. Ducks usually lay their eggs during early morning. Young chicken and ducks recently started laying. Ducks that are prone to going broody usually do so when they feel their clutch is nearly complete. any help would be appreciated. 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