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goldenpond_gw

Duck breeding questions .

goldenpond
15 years ago

I have a male Pekin Duck and a Black Cuyuga duck(with pompom )

I had two other females, one died very young and the other a female Pekin was Brazenly attacked by a Bobcat in broad daylight.(I chased it with a stick and screamed bloody murder but to no avail)

So now I have just Felix and Jinxie and Felix has been mating with her every morning for the past two weeks. Can the two breeds produce eggs?

If so how long before she lays any? How do I know if shes ready. What is a good website I can go to that will help me with this.Any insight is appreciated.

(BTW we are setting a bobcat trap nightly but so far only catching raccoons and possum. Haven't seen him around again and am hoping he is afraid to come back and meet up with the crazy screaming lady and her stick))

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Comments (3)

  • seramas
    15 years ago

    Yes they can have fertile eggs. Being in Florida you can expect them to get broody and hatch young any time during the year. They look to be in peak breeding condition. When ducks pair up it is very common for them to be intimate without egg production. When her body is ready to lay eggs they will have all the mechanics 'worked out' and produce a fine family of interesting color patterns and/or markings.

    Do you close them up a night? All the critters that your catching can and will do harm to them and any eggs/young they will produce. Have you prepared a place to nest in. They prefer to nest directly on the ground. She will seek a place that is hidden from sight and will dig a shallow blow shaped depression in the ground and line it with grasses and soft feathers from her belly. She will lay an egg a day and only set on the nest long enough to deposit the egg. Then she will cover the eggs with nesting material to protect them from sight and sunlight. When she has laid 6-10 eggs she will start to set tight and brood them. Note the color changes of the hens bill(tip). Each change will tell you at what stage in the brooding cycle she's in. This is more distinct in the darker colored hens.

    Hope you are feeding a good complete duck ration. If you have a Tractor Supply store near they carry a 16% layer that is very good for ducks. Demor is the brand name-it has no animal by-products or antibotics/hormones. No need for oyster shells or even grit. When the ducklings hatch out use the higher game bird starter for the first 1-2 weeks then switch to the 15% grower/finisher.

    I'm getting all excited about your future family. Good luck with them.

  • goldenpond
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Yes we do close them up at night. We made a duck house with solid plywood floor and roof the door has windows of a metal mesh smaller than chicken wire as I know those racoon paws squeeze through the smallest of small.We do have a fence around it but mostly they wander and free range my 2 and a half acres. We do feed them that mash but they REALLY prefer things like bugs,worms,snails a{{gwi:48789}}nd roots.
    They are quite sociall
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  • runningtrails
    15 years ago

    You are so fortunate to have such a beautiful family of ducks! I can't wait to see the babies, when they come.

    Beautiful pictures! I would like to have a few ducks on our property, eventually.