MY DUCK STARTED LAYING EGGS!!! A Couple Questions...

[KaylaLee]

hi everyone! my 6-ish month old indian runner duck started laying eggs 2 days ago!!! i was so happy because i've never gotten any eggs from MY OWN ducks before! i was actually really surprised because even though she is around the age of laying eggs, it is february, and i live in utah where there is a lot of snow and it gets pretty cold. so i wasnt expecting her to lay eggs in winter since im pretty sure spring is laying season! i just have a few questions about this - since its my first time

The eggs are small, when will they start getting bigger?
i understand that the duck eggs will be small at first, but when will they get bigger?

How old do drakes have to be to mate/make the eggs fertile?
i have another duck, we're pretty sure he's a boy but now 100% sure yet. he is around the same age as our female that layed the eggs. he doesnt have a drake curl *yet*. i dont know if the eggs are fertile right now, my duck has only layed 3 eggs so far - the first one was soft and we left it for her to see what she would to with it - she ate it/poked it lol so that one is gone. the second egg we ate. and the third one she layed last night and it is currently in the fridge. i might keep this 3rd egg for a week or so and candle it then so i can see if it's fertile. i'm really hoping the eggs will be fertile cause i want to hatch more ducks! so is there a certain age when drakes will make the eggs fertile (if it isnt right now)? kind of a weird question lol

Will she lay on the eggs?
will the duck lay on the eggs? we left her first egg with her because i wanted to see if she would lay on it but i dont think she did. if the eggs are fertile will she lay on them and possibly hatch them by herself?

those are all the questions i have for now - all feedback is appreciated! thanks for reading my thread!

 

[Yardmom]

Drakes will sound raspier and should have a curled feather in his tail by 6 months. They are usually ready to breed before hens lay.
Sometimes eggs are larger the second laying season but most of the time they are close to full size and more consistent in size after the first month.
Also it is a good idea to wait to set eggs until the duck has been laying for a while.
To check an egg for fertility you need to crack it and check for the bullseye, or just see if it develops under a hen or in an incubator.
Will your duck sit on her eggs? That depends on if she goes broody. Laying eggs and desiring to hatch them are two different things. Some will go broody if you leave a nest of eggs. Some will go broody and sit on one egg if they have laid several others. Others will never go broody.