Duck or Chicken egg?

[EdgeC]

Hello, first year raising chickens... or any animal for eggs.

We started with ducks (around March 23rd) and followed with our first run of Chickens around 4/14/23.
We also have a few younger runs... With that said... I kind of expected duck eggs a month or so ago but nothing... Then today

This was in the coop (Large self made coop, 5'x10'x10') It has ground access, I skirted it with 1/2" hardware cloth. I did this, so I could house both chickens and ducks inside of it. Ducks nest on the ground and chickens above your head. This was found slightly berried, in a corner. I do not have a nesting box built yet (Want one of those auto harvesting nesting machines)... so with everything being so squished together in time... I am not sure if my ducks are not laying or are just now laying.

For size reference, looks to be slightly smaller than a large chicken egg (store bought size).

Thanks.

#####TLDR####

This a new duck egg or a new chicken egg?

P.S: If this helps
(The first run of chickens would be mixed from a neighbor, Polish and Black Australorp)
(Ducks are Pekin)

 

[GirlsHuntToo]

Sorry it doesn't look like a duck egg. It probably is a double yolk chicken egg - egg with 2 yolks inside - Pekin duck eggs are white and that is brown. Good either way right?.

 

[EdgeC]

Sorry it doesn't look like a duck egg. It probably is a double yolk chicken egg - egg with 2 yolks inside - Pekin duck eggs are white and that is brown. Good either way right?.

Yes and no, first are you positive? I ask because I googled "pekin duck eggs" (before posting here) and the eggs shown were both white AND the color of egg I have.

Also, my ducks for sure should have laid by now right? They mount each other and mate when I change the water almost everyday for a month or so now.

I want my duck eggs lol, ideas?

 

[GirlsHuntToo]

It should be anytime now if they are females. Did you buy them as females or St.Run?? What are you feeding them???
I am pretty sure that that is a chicken egg. Don't worry when I started raising ducks I thought every big egg was a duck egg. They will come - sometimes they are late.

 

[EdgeC]

It should be anytime now if they are females. Did you buy them as females or St.Run?? What are you feeding them???
I am pretty sure that that is a chicken egg. Don't worry when I started raising ducks I thought every big egg was a duck egg. They will come - sometimes they are late.

I should have 4 females and 2 males, the males having a drake feather(or two) a raspy voice and they actively mount the "females and force their head under water while doing the deed".
So I am pretty sure I accurately sexed them.
I also have tried to leave them in the pen, until noon (they all free range in my fruit trees) So my other concern is maybe they are hiding the eggs in the forest? But also for the past month white feathers have been everywhere... so maybe all the females were molting together? I just don't know, I should have duck eggs by now and I don't know why I don't.

So still open to ideas or suggestions.

 

[GirlsHuntToo]

They need niacin to grow healthy bones and to lay eggs. So sometimes when they are not laying eggs that could be a reason. Try feeding them niacin rich foods. Like mushrooms and duck food has it in it. Any mushrooms that you can eat they can eat too. Spinach is also good.
Also, you have to watch the males. Sometimes when they hold their heads underwater that they can drown. That happened to one of my female ducks.

 

[EdgeC]

They need niacin to grow healthy bones and to lay eggs. So sometimes when they are not laying eggs that could be a reason. Try feeding them niacin rich foods. Like mushrooms and duck food has it in it. Any mushrooms that you can eat they can eat too. Spinach is also good.
Also, you have to watch the males. Sometimes when they hold their heads underwater that they can drown. That happened to one of my female ducks.

I would avoid spinach as I heard that could cause calcium issues and cause binding/soft eggs.
I feed them Kalmbach feed specifically for ducks, plus I give them peas for niacin as a treat. I don't think that is the issue. (Also have calcium left out, but does not seem like anything touches it yet).

Also they fully free range, so they supplement their own diets.

Any other ideas?

 

[GirlsHuntToo]

Hopefully they start laying for you soon!

 

[EdgeC]

Hopefully they start laying for you soon!

Thank you, me too. I appreciate all of the help.

 

[Jenbirdee]

quick question, do you have any drakes in that mix with the duck hens and chicken hens too?
Just a heads up - drakes quite often kill chicken hens by accident when they mate them . chicken hens can not accomodate a drake penis (roosters dont have penises)