Useless Ducks!

Last summer we got ten POL ducks. They took a while to come into lay but for a short period they did produce a reasonable number of eggs but, for some months now we only get a couple a day. They carry on eating all they want but if they dont start producing soon its going to be dog food!

I'm in the same boat. My one purebred Khaki Campbell continues to faithfully produce an egg every day without fail, and two young Indian Runners give four or five a week, but from the rest - nothing! And, as you say, nothing wrong with their appetites! The first hen that comes hatching, I'll stick a half-dozen of the Khaki's eggs under her.

Out of the eleven ducks we have their are three drakes. Two of them look like huge Mallards and the other is a pure Indian runner. The ducks are supposed to be Khaki Campbell and do look similar with some colour variants. As the runners are good egg layers I am thinking of topping the Mallards and breed replacements from the runner drake. Might be a good idea!

We are now getting three eggs a day which is not great but signs of improvement. The two drakes have gone and I have set nine runner eggs in the incubator. fingers crossed that they are fertile.

I'm getting a brace most days. Hopefully, as the days lengthen, they'll all come into lay.

Ducks are laying well now - eggs galore. Probably something to do with the fact that everywhere is just swamp and mud!

I am getting three a day out of nine ducks. Not good at all. still I have eleven Runner eggs in the bater which is due to hatch next weekend fingers crossed. I have only the one Drake at the moment so a couple more would not be a miss. The eggs sell well so we need to up production.

So, we have eight sprightly spludgers running amok in the brooder Very pleased I am as only three did not hatch. I shall try to sex them today The other ducks have started to lay at last so things are looking up.

The greatest plans of mice and men!!!. Out of the eight, we have six Drakes. Bugger!!. I shall put twenty five eggs in the bator next week and try again.

It's always the way. Any time I hoped for pullets I got cockerels and vice versa! The ducks are laying quite well now after a bit of a dearth during the dry weather. At 6 euro per dozen, they're a good addition to the old feed bill!

WE charge a fiver. Bugger!

If I didn't get 50 cents for a duck egg I'd eat it myself!

Things have really gone to the dogs in regard to Duck rearing here. Desperate for egg production for the mart I filled the incubator with duck eggs only to get four hatched, and two of them are Drakes. So bugger the bator, I will have to buy some POL ducklings. They are as rare as hen's teeth in these parts, and very expensive. I ended up buying six fine Campbell`s for 120 euro`s (ouch!) from a good firm in cork. Because of the lockdown we had an encreased demand for Hen eggs to be sold at the door, which is great but my hens will go off lay soon so I need some pullets now. I have been told that these are in short supply due to some bird disease up north. so I am quoted 15-20 euro`s each. I was able to get ten for 100 euro`s which was not so bad, but it has been a costly week.

I gave up buying pullets years ago - the quality was just too bad. I always hatch my own now, under hens, and the resulting birds are the healthiest you can get.

My faithful old khaki campbell duck has begun laying - an egg every day - which is a good job as nothing else is producing and bacon 'n' eggs without the eggs is a poor look-out! I intended to hatch some of her eggs last year, but by the time a hen came hatching all the ducks were laying and I couldn't pick her eggs from the rest. I'll try again this year.

I am not getting many eggs at all from the Ducks. No more than two a day at the moment. I have now built a brand new duck house with a clear roof so perhaps they will now start laying with the increased daylight. With this latest lockdown, the mart will be closed so I dont want a sudden glut of eggs right now. Ho Hum, roll on the spring.

The new duck house seems to be working. We got five eggs yesterday

I'm still getting just the one from my old Khaki Campbell, but the hens are churning out a good few now.

One of the Indian Runners kicked in this morning.

"The greatest plans of mice and men!" With the mart closed and the Ducks laying well we are awash with eggs  So we need some action here. I have 12 doz in the freezer from the last lockdown some 10 months ago. These were designated for xmas baking for the mart but we had plenty being laid at the time. So the birds now get a warm mash of eggs and corn each morning. They fight over it. Only the Ducks get layers pellets as I need to reduce the Hen eggs. So they get corn and greens only. With what we sell at the gate and freeze the surplus we have some sort of control over the Hens at least. I dont want the Ducks put off laying of corse, so I am thinking of putting a few doz under heat with a view of selling the poults. They do command a good price these days.

I preserve my extra hen eggs in big jars full of hydrated lime and water. The eggs must be fresh and clean and unwashed and they last well for twelve months. Perfectly good for cooking. Haven't tried duck eggs this way, mainly because it's hard to get them perfectly clean without washing them, which defies the process. I can't think what to with surplus duck eggs, except make lots of Spanish omelettes!

Despite all my bitch`in, my Ducks are laying well, too well despite the mainly corn diet. Hopefully we will get our jabs soon and get the mart up and running. Whats your recipe for the hydrated lime water Sean?

One ounce (by weight) of hydrated lime to each quart of water (spring or distilled-not tap). Eggs must be clean and fresh -straight from the nest. Do not wash them! Put them in a bucket with a lid. Cover with the lime water - you can add more eggs each day. When the bucket is full, clip on the top and store somewhere cool and dark. They'll store for a twelvemonth.

Cheers Sean, ill give it a go.