Author Topic: Laying ducks? (Read 3192 times)

Jakebob · « **on:** April 22, 2014, 11:21:05 pm »

Any good advice on what breed of ducks is best to get for laying? I'm thinking about Khaki Campbell's but just wondered what you all think. How old are ducks before they start laying? I have been doing a bit of research but finding varying answers. Thank you.

HesterF · « **Reply #1 on:** April 22, 2014, 11:24:55 pm »

I've got Silver Appleyards, Cayugas and an Aylesbury. All are laying their little hearts out at the moment. I think the main difference is their laying season is shorter but through the season they all lay daily. Silver Appleyards are a good dual purpose breed because they're big enough for meat but should lay 200-250 eggs a year. Khaki Campbells are your best overall layers though.

Mine tend to come into lay the spring after they were hatched - January/February time. Tends to be less age related than with chickens, more seasonal (mind you my Orpington chickens are very seasonal too).

Jakebob · « **Reply #2 on:** April 22, 2014, 11:29:30 pm »

Thank you, are Khaki Campbell's big enough for meat as well or not really? I was thinking of maybe hatching my own ducks but would quite like them soon and to be laying fairly soon, so might try and buy some ready to lay and also try hatching some for next year laying.

HesterF · « **Reply #3 on:** April 22, 2014, 11:44:34 pm »

Not much meat on them, I think although no expert. If you want to get eggs this year you'll have to get ducks that are already laying which might be hard to do (most people will have cleared the birds they want to sell already, I imagine). Worth a try though. Definitely worth hatching your own to set up for next year - or buy some that are already hatched (not as much fun but ducks are hard to hatch and you end up with lots of drakes that eat a lot so makes financial sense to buy them at a few weeks old when they're already sexed).

doganjo · « **Reply #4 on:** April 23, 2014, 09:06:34 am »

I have had 4 ducks and a drake(KC/Runner) since late last summer - from Cameron. They were about 15 weeks when I got them so must be about a year now. Never had even one egg yet. There are rats about so that may be the answer.although they are shut in at night till about now - 9am

mentalmilly · « **Reply #5 on:** April 23, 2014, 09:09:52 am »

We also have appleyards and they started laying weeks ago at 8 months old. Lay every day, good dual purpose duck.

Bionic · « **Reply #6 on:** April 23, 2014, 09:13:38 am »

Quote from: doganjo on April 23, 2014, 09:06:34 am

I have had 4 ducks and a drake(KC/Runner) since late last summer - from Cameron. They were about 15 weeks when I got them so must be about a year now. Never had even one egg yet. There are rats about so that may be the answer.although they are shut in at night till about now - 9am

Annie, I have a couple of silver apple yard females and I find that if I don't get to the eggs immediately they eat them. OH saw one of them swallow the egg whole too. So maybe yours are laying but they are eaten before you get to see them.

NicandChic · « **Reply #7 on:** April 23, 2014, 09:31:25 am »

Hi, we've 2 white Campbell's, we got them at 11 weeks old, they started laying on New Year's Day & haven't stopped since, they are extremely broody at the moment, I'm having to get them out their shed or they will sit all day.

benkt · « **Reply #8 on:** April 23, 2014, 10:19:55 am »

Just to second all the advice already given here really...
We have:
* Both Khaki and White Campbells - definitely the best layers - an egg a day for the whole laying season - hardly worth bothering trying to eat
* Silver Appeyards - reasonable layers and just about worth eating
* 'Aylesburys' AKA generic white farmyard duck. We do get some eggs, perhaps one every third day on average but the make fantastic eating and that's what we keep them for.
* Cayugas - these are new to me but seem to be better layers than the aylesburys, maybe an egg every other day or better. Not eaten one yet but they look a good size.

So in summary, for laying I don't think you can beat a Khaki Campbell but don't get your hopes up for getting much eating. I think if I was less duck-obsessed or had to cut down numbers, I'd keep as many KC as I could fit in and then buy in some day-old aylesburys every so often to raise for meat.
If you do hatch some, be aware that you want a fairly high ratio of ducks/drakes - I aim for at least 5:1 so you will have to deal with a load of unwanted drakes!

HesterF · « **Reply #9 on:** April 23, 2014, 11:00:41 pm »

Cayugas definitely not as good eating as an Appleyard - smaller duck but tasty dark meat. I have been really pleasantly surprised by their laying and the Aylesbury. From the four ducks I get four eggs virtually every day - maybe once a week it's three.

Slimjim · « **Reply #10 on:** April 24, 2014, 07:50:40 am »

I was going to put this in a new post, but it is sort of related, though no use in answering your question!
I have a duck of unknown breed - hatched from a one of a couple of eggs I was given - that has laid two white eggs a day for the past week. There they are in the house each morning. Normal shape, size and contents . I just have the two ducks and the other lays a green egg, so it must be true! Is this common? She is mainly black with a white bib and small patches on her closed wings. A hybrid almost certainly.

HesterF · « **Reply #11 on:** April 24, 2014, 09:43:13 am »

Wow! She must be exhausted. I've never heard of a duck laying two a day before - I thought their egg cycle was about 24 hours - but even if she is a hybrid, you should breed from her. You could have the best egg layers in the world!

As for colouring, I have a black duckling with a white front that hatched out of a silver appleyard egg. Clearly I rapidly took action to move the cayugas into a pen a lot further away from the silver appleyards because I can only assume Mr.Cayuga managed to have his way through the fence!