Layin' Fools | Chickens in the Road

Oct
22

I’ve got 50 ducks laying eggs.

Okay, so that’s not possible because I only have 7 ducks. I’m not sure how many of them are girls, but it’s a good percentage, I’m telling ya. I can’t keep up with picking up the duck eggs. (And I love duck eggs!)

And no matter how many times I give them fresh straw in their favorite corner, they trample it all down and make a muddy nest. For animals with some of the most meticulous personal hygiene practices in the world, that’s pretty ornery. (See Cleanliness is Next to Duckliness if you need proof.)

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20 Responses
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10-22
5:47
am

Must hide those eggs from predators. Stomp them into the ground and get them nice and muddy so they blend in. Luckily duck egg aren’t as porous as chicken eggs and the bacteria can’t get inside as easily.

Sheila Z

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10-22
8:03
am

Boy ducks have a curled tail feather, the girls do not. :-)

Kathi

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10-22
8:39
am

We had a neighbor who loved her duck eggs for homemade noodles. She made some honking good noodles!

Miss Judy

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10-22
9:10
am

Sheila Z, that’s pretty smart of them!

They’re very cute. Go Super Ducks!

texwisgirl

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10-22
9:13
am

Sexing ducks is easy — there’s previously mentioned curled tail feather, but even more obvious is the quack – loud and clear for the females, quieter and a bit husky for the males.

For nests, we use old tires. Stuff the hollow well with straw and give them a nice, fluffy straw base in the center. Within a week or two of moving the nests in, most of ours are using them. We’ll still get a few here and there in the duckyard but even with 30 laying at a time (and yes, I’m crazy enough to keep that many ducks)we get 80-90 percent of the eggs in tire nests.

LauraP

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10-22
9:55
am

Yep, that would deter me from stealing their eggs….
at least without gloves on…ha

I think the mess: odor change, on egg “color splats” and mud is to disguise the eggs from predators…When we had ducks they did the same thing…you should see the on egg “splats” after a meal of Poke berries..lovely mix of white and purple…ewwww!

Shelia Z..hit the answer on the button!

B. Ruth

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10-22
10:42
am

Way to go “girls”! Never ate duck eggs, on the other hand how could I, don’t have ducks!

Linda Segerson

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10-22
10:43
am

Those duck eggs really do make good honkin noodles….and puddings, omelets…yummy!

Melody D

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10-22
11:51
am

I use duck eggs for all my baking; they just seem to make them rise and taste better.

Deb

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10-22
11:59
am

I guess ducks aren’t so dumb after all.

Barbee

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10-22
12:16
pm

Excuse my ignorance, but do ducks lay more than one egg a day?

judyh

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10-22
12:18
pm

Judy, no, just one per day, like chickens!

Suzanne McMinn

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10-22
12:18
pm

If I was sure I could get a couple of girl ducks and no boys, then I would like to have them for eggs.

Have to check and see if they have to have a male or if they are like hens and will lay without them.

Ramona

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10-22
1:03
pm

Ramona, no, you don’t need a boy duck to get duck eggs. Just like chickens!

Suzanne McMinn

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10-22
2:20
pm

Hey Folks! Those would be “quacking” good duck eggs! “Honking” eggs would come from geese! LOL I am just making a stupid joke. Hey, Suzanne – remember me with duck eggs when it comes time for Christmas baking!

I first learned to fry eggs as a little girl when I got 2 ducks for Easter and named them Pebbles and Bam Bam. That Pebbles laid delicious eggs!

Cousin Sheryl

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10-22
8:30
pm

That looks like a girl duck. I use to get my son baby ducks for Easter. He love them. He was three riding his little foot push three wheeler down through the field and those baby ducks would follow him. Was so cute.

Barbara W

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10-22
9:34
pm

Oh great! Now I want some ducks. Must add to my list of “BARN ANIMALS WANTED”.

SuzzyQ

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10-23
1:12
am

“We had a neighbor who loved her duck eggs for homemade noodles. She made some honking good noodles!”
Miss Judy

Wouldn’t those be QUACKING

Sandi

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10-23
1:12
am

QUACKING GOOD NOODLES???

Sandi

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2-25
2:53
pm

Suzanne, the feral muscovy duscks around here like to nest in wood mulch. Their nests usually look pretty clean. I wonder if this is because: (1)they’re broody, so working harder on cleanliness;(2) mulch is easier to use to “bury” and hide the eggs; (3) something to do with breed of duck; or (4) those wood chips just absorb mud better than straw.

Something to consider.

Nancy P

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