Call ducks - first eggs!

debbieo4914 · **Posted:** Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:05 am

Hi everybody - it's not often I post in Waterfowl Chat as my trio of silver call ducks generally just mind their own business down around our dam, however they have just started laying so things are getting a bit exciting.

I currently have 6 duck eggs being incubated by hens - I have found these eggs scattered around the paddock in various spots, and am not entirely sure whether most of them are from my ducks or the local wood ducks (which I know usually nest in tree hollows, but I have found their eggs around the dam before). I know three other eggs I found today are from the calls as the two ducks were actually sitting on a makeshift nest under a tree. I guess I'll find out what the others are if and when they hatch. The very first egg was fertile and is due to hatch next Sunday.

The reason I am not letting the ducks hatch their own this time round is that I would like the young ones to be tame. The adult trio I have are not at all tame and it is so traumatic to catch them for things like wing clipping (so they can't fly out into fox territory) so I would like the next generation to be less scared of us and easier to handle.

Can anybody tell me how long a duck's laying season tends to be?

Deb :-D

Muscovy J · **Posted:** Mon Sep 29, 2008 6:07 pm

hi mate,
most duck breeds these days only lay enough to hatch out eggs and then sit on them, i have heard calls are not real flash layers ? only runners and campbells are good layers , what i would do is get yourself a a quiet muscovy girl, a small frame girl is what you need , a mussie girl will hatch out eggs better than any other breed , and most muscovys are quiet , once your ducklings are hatched lock them up in a small pen with mum and hand feed them , each day and you will find thay will be a lot quieter , all my ducklings are quiet if raised this way , hope this helps

jase

debbieo4914 · **Posted:** Tue Sep 30, 2008 8:15 am

Hi Jase. Thanks for the tip. I will have to put my current eggs under hens as I can't get a muscovy girl organised quickly enough but that does sound like a better idea for the next lot - no worries about humidity, etc.

Hopefully the hens can get this lot out in the meantime.

Thanks again.

Deb :-D

Drew Smith · **Posted:** Wed Oct 01, 2008 11:33 am

Muscovy Jase wrote:

hi mate,
most duck breeds these days only lay enough to hatch out eggs and then sit on them, i have heard calls are not real flash layers ? only runners and campbells are good layers , what i would do is get yourself a a quiet muscovy girl, a small frame girl is what you need , a mussie girl will hatch out eggs better than any other breed , and most muscovys are quiet , once your ducklings are hatched lock them up in a small pen with mum and hand feed them , each day and you will find thay will be a lot quieter , all my ducklings are quiet if raised this way , hope this helps

jase

Thats good info mate, I would agree with you on the muscovies, bloody good mothers

Cheers Drew Smith

maybeamac · **Posted:** Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:25 pm

Hey does that daddy duck chase you?

debbieo4914 · **Posted:** Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:33 pm

My daddy duck?? No, he is a sweetie. Just scared.

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