There is a chance I'm an idiot. Please come tell me I'm not.

[furbabymum]

So I did a search on BYC for when ducks start laying. I guess I was under the impression that if I bought a laying breed they would lay similar enough to chickens, as in every other day or such. The little boxes with information on the hatchery site did say they would lay 200-300 eggs a year which led me to believe I'd be getting eggs consistantly. So, now I have ducks that I've been waiting to start laying and may have just realized they won't begin laying until spring.

Is that really true?

 

[Kevin565]

What breeds and how old?

 

[zooweemama]

Duck breeds? Current age? The average age for beginning to lay seems to be 17 weeks to 20 weeks, some taking up to 25 weeks. 17 is the early end and some luck owners see them. I personally didn't see any eggs until almost 20 weeks. If they do not reach laying age before the days get really short, temps get really cool....they absolutely may not lay until almost Spring. It's all about the light.

200-300 eggs is usually measured their first year, from the point of lay for 12 months and I read that that was using lights to trick them into laying when they would normally rest. Without lights- 160-200 seems to be more the norm for the first year. Around 18 months old or so (which is about 12 months of laying) the ducks pause for up to a couple months to molt and rest before beginning to lay again.

Hope this helps!

 

[furbabymum]

Golden 300 and Khaki Campbell. 18 weeks. I sure hope they lay soon. The days are getting short.

It would be amusing though. Here I had this big dream about baking Christmas stuff with duck eggs and now I probably won't have eggs. lol

 

[Tivona]

I have had my Golden 300's start laying in the early fall. I checked my notes and they started about at week 19 to 20 for me. Could be soon for you if yours follow the same pattern as mine.

 

[zooweemama]

Golden 300 and Khaki Campbell. 18 weeks. I sure hope they lay soon. The days are getting short.

It would be amusing though. Here I had this big dream about baking Christmas stuff with duck eggs and now I probably won't have eggs. lol

I have some Golden 300s and Welsh Harlequins (derived from KC) and the WH are laying and were one of the first to lay. I have a Buff laying and a black runner laying...my 300s are not yet. And those are 21 weeks old (of chich the 300 and WH and Buff and FW runners are). My oldest batch is 24 weeks old and only one of them are laying (black runner). I have a total of 11 females and we are getting about 4 eggs a day- some days 3. All are between 21 and 24 weeks old and it's the same 4 ducks laying. They have high quality feed, oyster shell, a pond...clean coop and laying boxes. There just isn't anything I can do and I refuse to use lights.

I am in the same boat with chickens. I have 25 week old chickens NOT laying yet. I have a few 16 week olds and then a few 14 week olds...I will likely see eggs from the 25 weekers but possibly not the 16 and def not the 14 weekers. My bad- I should have timed it better. Everyone always brags about getting eggs at 16/17 weeks and that is the early early side of normal. A more normal age for ducks and chickens is about 20 weeks give or take. I have read some frustrated owners waiting until 30 weeks! :| Hang in there and know you are not alone!

 

[ChristineR]

It's been my experience that ducklings hatched in the early spring start laying in the summer. Those hatched later in the season have not started laying for me until the following spring.

Once they do start laying, my Welsh H (from Metzer Farms) usually lay almost every day until they peter out when the days shorten.

BTW - the title of your thread made me smile.

 

[Mum]

Golden 300 and Khaki Campbell. 18 weeks. I sure hope they lay soon. The days are getting short.

It would be amusing though. Here I had this big dream about baking Christmas stuff with duck eggs and now I probably won't have eggs. lol

Just a bit of useless information for you: in times gone by, traditionally, Christmas cakes were made at Easter; because that was the time of year when eggs were in abundance.