For those of us who have had our muscovies for a while, we revel in how prolific they are when it comes to laying those beautiful, deliciously rich eggs, and just as we think we’re overflowing with this bounty, they stop. Here are common reasons as to why you might suddenly see a drop in egg production and some solutions to them.
1. If you let them free range, they might be hiding their eggs: Before you start thinking something is wrong with them, take a look around. They just might be hiding their eggs from you because they’re sick and tired of this giant creature coming every day and taking their hard work. I had a drop in production a couple of weeks ago and by luck, found out that they were laying in my herb box! And when one finds such an awesome new place, the rest can’t help but follow. Unfortunately, the eggs get kind of dirty laying on soil, but nothing brushing them off didn’t fix. I ended up locking them in their coop for a few days which forced them to use the nest boxes and get used to them again. They are creatures of habit.
2. How old are they? Muscovies have a much longer laying life than most poultry, many people finding that they are still laying well at 5 or 6 years old. They mature a bit slower than the other types of ducks, on average beginning to lay in their second year rather than their first, although early hatches can start laying from 6-8 months old if it hasn’t turned cold yet. Sometimes, as they age, they don’t lay as much–I have an older duck that is probably 5 years old that only gives three eggs a week. For a backyard poultry keeper like me, it doesn’t matter much, but for those on a commercial venture, a drop from 5-6 eggs is catastrophic so it might be time to change out your layers. Young ducks are also more prone to misshapen or strangely sized eggs, in addition to being more sporadic layers. They have to test out their equipment for a bit before getting into the swing of things.
3. Tis the season? Muscovies are seasonal layers and often stop laying during the winter. I have had many lay intermittenly throughout the cold months, and even through snow, but they usually slow down a lot or stop completely. Once the weather starts warming up (April – May where I am) and breeding season begins, then they pick up the pace.
If your ducks are still not laying even though spring is here and you’ve ruled out everything else, you can sometimes trigger them to start the laying season by placing a fake egg in a nestbox. It also helps them lay in one place.
4. Have they started to molt? When your ducks are changing their feathers, laying slows and often completely stops. There is nothing you can do about it other than wait it out. This process can take anywhere from a month to two months and July is usually when they start in earnest
. During this time, make sure you bump up their protein intake as ducks require higher protein levels than chickens. Cat kibble is a good supplemental treat to give them.
5. Speaking of nutrients, are they getting the right amount of the right stuff? Your ducks should be supplemented with enough calcium and protein in order to be healthy enough to lay–if they aren’t, then their body may conserve the energy and stop laying.
6. Are they broody? A broody duck hen, one which wants to hatch eggs, won’t give any more eggs. Muscovies go broody once they have a full nest–usually upwards of 10 eggs. They are great incubators and many people keep them for that very purpose. If the duck is refusing to leave the nest, pulling out her feathers to line the nest, and giving warning calls at you when you get close, then you most likely have a broody hen. You can break their broodiness or take this opportunity to hatch some hard to hatch birds.
7. Are they on their off day or just resting? A duck’s egg cycle is about every 25-26 hours, some a little more, some a little less, so every so often they’ll skip a day here and there, and you’ll average about 5 eggs per duck per week. Sometimes they might take a break for a week or two before resuming, which is great to give their bodies a much needed rest. Just make sure they are getting enough food, and wait a bit.
8. How’s the weather? If it’s too hot or too cold, the ducks can go off lay. I have found that even thunderstorms can cause the ducks to stop for a day or two.
9. Did something change in their routine? Muscovies are creatures of habit, and changes in their routine or environment might trigger them to stop laying. I find that on the days I do a full coop clean out, my ducks will inevitably stop laying for two or three days.
10. Are they sick or injured? An ill or injured duck will not lay–keep and eye out for sneezing, coughing, runny noses, loss of appetite/weight loss, listlessness, puffy eyes, limping–these are all signs that something is wrong. An avian vet or one familiar with farm animals will be able to make a proper diagnosis and give you the best course of treatment. Remember, if they must go on medication, make sure you get information on how long you can’t eat their eggs for, since many medication can be present in their eggs for a certain amount of time after they take it.
We are new backyard duck owners. We want to have our ducks produce ducklings. We have 1 male and 2 females. Do we need to isolate the females or will they both lay eggs in the same nest? Any tips / guidance would be appreciated.
So the girls may lay in the same nest, they may not. One might go broody over the shared nest while the other doesn’t, or they might both go broody and sit on the same nest. If one is still laying in the same nest the other is brooding, it’s a good idea to mark the existing eggs (those that have been there the first day the duck began sitting) so all the new eggs that’s laid can be taken away so you don’t end up with half developed eggs at the end. While brooding, I suggest keeping the male separated so he doesn’t keep bothering them.
Keep an incubator and a brooder on hand just in case the duck(s) abandon the eggs/babies for whatever reason. Be aware ducks are terrible parents so don’t expect the babies to all survive if you let them raise them, alternatively you can pull the ducklings and raise them in the brooder yourself.
I and other duck and poultry keepers are often on the Discord (chat) server I run for more instantaneous help if you need it. I have provided the link here: https://discord.gg/nZ95n2V
Thanks for your advice my wife and l have 30 moscavoys 15 Drakes 15 ducks . They have stopped laying eggs we normally have 9 to 12 eggs per day. The last 7 days nothing. They are well looked after, they are our pets . Can you ad ise futher
THANKS FROM ALEC &NORMA.
It’s currently molting season so they’ll stop/slow down. If you’re in the northern hemisphere they will stop for the winter due to the shortening day, if you are in the southern hemisphere, they should resume in a few weeks after their molt.
I’ve had a small backyard flock for about 10 years. I have a covered, vented square container in each pen for laying. My females have adapted very quickly to this nesting area. I try to keep fresh hay in it to make it more comfortable. Years ago, 2 of my females laid in the same nest and were taking turns brooding, but it seemed they fought often over whose turn it was. I finally got fed up, made 2 separate nests by hand, divided the eggs evenly, then put a female on each nest and told them in the sternest voice that THAT ONE was their nest. They each brooded on the designated nest. However, when one mother would take her daily break, the other would inevitably steal one egg from the unwatched nest. They BOTH did it. When the breaking mother returned to her nest, she’d count her eggs, eye the other mother, recount, then finally settle down on her nest. But when the other mother took her break, the first mom would roll the very same egg back into her own nest. This was quite entertaining to watch, but had catastrophic consequences once the eggs hatched. Males and other females will kill any babies that are not their own! Now, when we reach about 28 days gestation, we remove all other ducks from that pen and keep mother and babies separated from the rest of the flock until babies are fully feathered and can run from mean Aunties.