How Often Do Ducks Lay Eggs?

A basket of duck eggs collected from the duck coop.

There’s no one-answer-fits-all when it comes to the subject of duck egg production. However, many duck breeds will produce an egg every 48 hours. Of course, many factors, including the duck breed, affect this number.

Nonetheless, most duck breeds typically lay between 200 and 300 eggs yearly. This translates to an average of 22 eggs every month.

Fun fact? Rouen ducks are on the far end of the spectrum and may lay as low as only 35 eggs in a year.

That said, the frequency of egg production and the size of the eggs ducks lay are primarily dependent on the specific breeds. While some duck breeds excel at laying eggs, others offer more meat than eggs.

Interestingly, most ducks start mating at about four months and can usually continue for most of their lives. On the other hand, large breeds like the Muscovy ducks will usually begin much later, at around six months. In addition, the season can also affect the frequency of duck mating and egg production.  

For instance, many ducks reach their maximum egg production rate between March and July.

During the spring, wild ducks will typically start laying, which marks the beginning of the mating season for them.

Factors That Affect Duck Egg Production 

While the specific duck breed and seasonal changes are the primary factors determining how many eggs ducks lay, several other factors may also come into play.

Here are some more factors that affect egg production in ducks:

Age

While most duck breeds will continue to lay eggs for most of their lives, they have a window where they reach their peak egg production rate. This is usually between three years and five years. After this period, they may not produce as many eggs as they used to.

Diet

What you feed your ducks also determines how well and often they lay eggs. Ducks that do not enjoy highly nutritional food will typically lay fewer eggs or inferior-quality eggs. On the other hand, a healthy diet will lead to better egg production.

Housing conditions

Experts have revealed that ducks become nervous in larger groups, unlike chickens. Therefore, if you house your ducks in larger numbers (especially in uncomfortable conditions), they will likely lay fewer eggs.

Feed quality

As much as you’re trying to feed your ducks food rich in essential nutrients, you should also ensure that such feed is top-quality. In other words, your feed should be free of mold, pest and insect damage, etc.

This way, you can get the best results from your feed investments.

Hydration

Hydration is critical when it comes to your duck health and optimum egg production levels. In other words, if you don’t provide your duck with an adequate water supply, it’d be challenging for them to remain healthy, much less produce an impressive number of eggs.

Also, while ducks don’t seem to mind dirty water, it will not help your case in aiding optimum egg production.

Lighting condition

Do you know that the length of day can influence sexual behavior in birds, especially ducks?

In other words, if you use artificial lighting to increase the length of the day your ducks experience, they’ll typically mate more, leading to more eggs. Comparatively, shorter days will cause a decrease in egg production.

See also  Domestic Duck Lifespan

Therefore, if you want your ducks to lay more eggs, try supplementing their homestead’s lighting in the mornings and evenings such that they get up to 15 hours of light every day.

Number of Males 

Male ducks can become very competitive, leading to increased aggression, stress, and injuries in your duck poultry. Therefore, it’s never a good idea to let your male ducks outnumber or even equal the number of female ducks in your coop.

As a rule of thumb, we recommend having one drake for every five ducks.

Stress

Ducks love routine. So, when they don’t get it, they can become stressed, which may affect their egg production.

Therefore, developing and maintaining a routine for your ducks is usually best. For example, let your ducks out of their coop at the same time daily, keep consistent feeding hours, and try to have only one person in charge of collecting their eggs.

This way, your ducks don’t become stressed.

Boredom

Unlike chickens, ducks are very social creatures. As a result, they can be very lonely and bored when they are separated from one another for long durations.

This can lead to frustration and depression, which may cause the duck to reduce its egg production or downright stop it.

To prevent this, we recommend pairing up your ducks to ensure that they get proper socialization.

Can Ducks Lay Multiple Eggs a Day? 

The answer is yes. 

Some duck breeds can lay up to two eggs in a single day. However, most ducks will only lay one egg per day.

This information is essential to ensure you have enough eggs or plan for the excess you don’t need.

Fun fact? Domesticated ducks will generally experience more regular egg production than wild ducks. This is largely due to their more stable and nutritious diet, though.

How Many Times Do Duck Lay Eggs in a Year? 

Once again, this boils down to the specific breed in question.

Pekin ducks, the best layers, can lay up to 300 eggs a year. However, a more conservative number is around 250 eggs per year. Of course, several factors can also affect this number.

That said, healthy ducks typically lay eggs approximately 90% of the days in their prime. In other words, you can have up to 90 eggs after 100 days.

This translates to around 328 eggs per year if conditions are favorable.

Fun fact? Most duck breeds will usually lay their maximum number of eggs in the first year they start breeding. After that, the numbers will typically begin dropping.

How Many Months a Year Do Ducks Lay Eggs? 

Most ducks will lay eggs during all 12 months of a year. So, except for extreme disruptions, your ducks will typically keep laying eggs irrespective of what month it is.

However, some duck breeds will only lay eggs yearly in the spring. 

Let’s break it down based on their living conditions:

Domestic ducks

Some domesticated ducks can provide an impressive number of eggs in a year — up to 250 in some cases. An example is the Pekin duck.

See also  9 Quietest Duck Breeds

Also, domestic ducks are an excellent source of meat as spending most of their life on land makes their meat much more tender.

Wild ducks

Fun fact? Wild ducks are the ancestors of domesticated ducks.

An excellent example is the Mallard duck, which has an iridescent green head.

Unlike domestic ducks, wild ducks typically lay only one egg per day and enter brooding mode after only 12 eggs. Therefore, it is uncommon to see wild ducks with more than 12-egg in clutches. However, you can find fewer eggs.

But, there’s a drawback with wild ducks.

They will usually slow down on egg production during the cold months. In some cases, they may even stop altogether. This means that wild ducks do not produce eggs all year round.

How Many Eggs Will a Duck Lay before She Sits on Them?

The laying cycle of domesticated ducks usually lasts an average of 12 eggs. In other words, most ducks will lay at least eight eggs before they go broody and start sitting on them. In less common cases, she may lay up to 15 eggs.

However, once female ducks go into their brooding phase, they must sit on their clutch of eggs for at least 20 hours daily to achieve excellent incubation.

Typically, you’ll need to do all you can to make this process as comfortable and convenient for your ducks as possible.

Most ducks will usually prefer to keep sitting than try to find food, water, or even relieve themselves. In other words, they’ll typically not get up during incubation. As a result, you’ll need to provide them with adequate food and better close to their nesting spot.

Also, separating your brooding ducks from the other ducks will help smoother their brooding process. This is because they won’t have to worry about other ducks eating all the food or trying to be too ‘social.’ 

What Time of Day Do Ducks Lay Eggs?

This is no hard and fast rule when it comes to ducks and when they lay their eggs. However, there is some controversy over whether ducks can determine the exact moment they lay their eggs or not. 

Assuming they can, many experts believe that ducks prefer to lay their eggs at sunrise instead of other times of the day.

But, there is no conclusive evidence to prove this.

You’ll generally come across eggs in your duck coop at all times of the day — from late morning to noontime, evenings, and even late at night (if you check).

However, ducks also prefer to lay their eggs in secluded spots that feel safe and usually seek out such places. Therefore, some signs prove they can hold their eggs until they are ready to lay them.

How Long Will Ducks Lay Eggs? 

Most ducks will live between 10 and 15 years, depending on whether they are domesticated or in the wild. However, female ducks will only stay productive for about one-third of their life.

This means ducks will typically lay eggs for approximately five years. More often than not, their peak egg production will happen during the first year.

See also  Do Geese Eat Worms?

Fun fact? Some domestic duck breeds, like the Pekin duck, can keep laying for up to 10 years!

However, the number of eggs they produce will significantly drop after a while. As ducks age, their reproductive system slows down progressively until they stop laying eggs altogether.

But, on average, ducks will lay eggs for four years.

Do Ducks Lay Eggs in the Winter, Fall, Spring, or Summer? 

Ducks typically lay eggs irrespective of seasons. However, Spring marks the beginning of the breeding season.

From Spring into Summer, ducks will lay the highest number of eggs for that year. However, their laying rate slows down into the fall, with their least number occurring during Winter.

Interestingly, artificial lighting has made it possible to increase the laying duration of ducks, even in winter months. Therefore, increasing the light-on hours in your duck coop will prolong how much daylight your ducks get, which means they’ll be sexually active for longer.

Using this method can keep your duck egg production numbers up even through Winter. But, it may also make them nervous and stressed out, affecting their breeding ability later. 

Which Ducks Lay the Most Eggs?

Egg production in ducks generally depends on the specific breed in question. While some can lay more eggs per annum, others will produce bigger eggs.

For instance, Pekin ducks typically lay larger eggs but may only produce up to 200 eggs per year. On the other hand, Runner ducks lay some of the prettiest eggs you’ll find (bluish-green in color). But, they lay very few eggs per year.

So, what duck breed lays the most eggs per year?

The answer is the Campbell duck. This duck breed can lay 340 eggs in one year, making them ideal for commercial egg production. However, their eggs may be smaller than what you’d get in other duck breeds.

Best Ducks for Eggs 

Campbell ducks may be the fastest egg producers. But, there are not only ones that excel at laying eggs.

Up to six duck breeds can give impressive results if you want frequent egg production. 

Here are our top six duck egg layers:

  • Campbell ducks with up to 340 eggs in a year
  • Runner ducks with up to 300 eggs per year
  • Welsh Harlequin ducks with up to 300 eggs per year
  • Magpie ducks at up to 290 eggs every year
  • Ancona ducks with up to 240 eggs per year
  • Pekin ducks with up to 230 eggs per annum

Conclusion

Most duck breeds offer a similar laying rate as chickens — approximately one egg every 24 hours. However, factors such as age, diet, environment, and more, can also affect duck egg production. However, the specific duck breed may be the most critical factor.

Also, we should mention that duck eggs are typically larger and healthier than chicken eggs. The only drawback is that they may be more challenging to raise.

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