Pekins Aren't Laying

[gatrapper]

I have been raising ducks for 7-8 years now. I have kept Pekin ducks for the last few years for meat and eggs. I have always hatched my own and never had any issues. Last year I hatched out and raised 75+ ducklings. I processed the older group and kept the new ducklings for breeders. My breeding flock is down to 10 birds at the moment. 2 drakes and 8 hens. The birds are kept in a coop with poultry netting at night and get let out to free range every day a bit after sunrise. They are given layer pellets and have access to oyster shell. I have done it this way for years without any issues.

The birds are now over a year old and are not laying. I know ducks are morning layers and I always have had eggs on the ground by the time I went to let them out in the past. I kept the birds up for the last week and still no eggs.

What could be causing this? If it continues, they will all head to the freezer and I will start over again.

 

[_-Captain BRM-_]

Maybe give them a chance when it gets a little warmer?? My Pekins all stopped in the past two months, but they will start up again soon.

 

[BelovedBirds]

I have been raising ducks for 7-8 years now. I have kept Pekin ducks for the last few years for meat and eggs. I have always hatched my own and never had any issues. Last year I hatched out and raised 75+ ducklings. I processed the older group and kept the new ducklings for breeders. My breeding flock is down to 10 birds at the moment. 2 drakes and 8 hens. The birds are kept in a coop with poultry netting at night and get let out to free range every day a bit after sunrise. They are given layer pellets and have access to oyster shell. I have done it this way for years without any issues.

The birds are now over a year old and are not laying. I know ducks are morning layers and I always have had eggs on the ground by the time I went to let them out in the past. I kept the birds up for the last week and still no eggs.

What could be causing this? If it continues, they will all head to the freezer and I will start over again.

What month last year did they hatch? They likely stopped due to winter, it's common for them to lay less if at all. Give them time, as it's warming up, you'll likely see eggs soon.
Give them time, if you end up wanting to start over, I'm sure you could sell some of them to someone willing to give them longer, might make up for some of your expenses from the past year, too

 

[gatrapper]

What month last year did they hatch? They likely stopped due to winter, it's common for them to lay less if at all. Give them time, as it's warming up, you'll likely see eggs soon.
Give them time, if you end up wanting to start over, I'm sure you could sell some of them to someone willing to give them longer, might make up for some of your expenses from the past year, too

I hatched them out last April. They are now 1 year old. They have NEVER laid an egg for me. Very confused.

 

[BelovedBirds]

I hatched them out last April. They are now 1 year old. They have NEVER laid an egg for me. Very confused.

So, depending on the climate where you are, by the time they should have started laying the weather was getting colder?
As I said, it's very likely they will start laying as the weather warms back up again.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

My pekin is 29 weeks old and just got a first egg. If yours are older sounds like something is eating them or stealing them

 

[BelovedBirds]

My pekin is 29 weeks old and just got a first egg. If yours are older sounds like something is eating them or stealing them

that's also a good point, if something could be getting in and snatching the eggs.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

that's also a good point, if something could be getting in and snatching the eggs.

A rat use to steal my duck eggs found them under the floor boards lol

 

[gatrapper]

Unless the ducks are instantly eating the eggs, nothing is able to get in their shelter. Their shelter is in the middle of a pasture near my house I have had two cameras watching it. Nothing on the camera except me and the dogs.

 

[CaliFarmsAR]

I have been raising ducks for 7-8 years now. I have kept Pekin ducks for the last few years for meat and eggs. I have always hatched my own and never had any issues. Last year I hatched out and raised 75+ ducklings. I processed the older group and kept the new ducklings for breeders. My breeding flock is down to 10 birds at the moment. 2 drakes and 8 hens. The birds are kept in a coop with poultry netting at night and get let out to free range every day a bit after sunrise. They are given layer pellets and have access to oyster shell. I have done it this way for years without any issues.

The birds are now over a year old and are not laying. I know ducks are morning layers and I always have had eggs on the ground by the time I went to let them out in the past. I kept the birds up for the last week and still no eggs.

What could be causing this? If it continues, they will all head to the freezer and I will start over again.

Are you feeding them enough feed?? I noticed my ducks require a certain amount of feed to lay constantly. I was getting eggs all through winter because of the amount I was feeding.