How Many Eggs do Muscovy Ducks Lay?

Muscovy ducks usually lay approximately 180 eggs per year. These ducks can also lay plenty of eggs if you feed them with a protein-rich diet and vegetables. Besides their high egg-laying capabilities, Muscovy ducks’ mothers are excellent at caring for their ducklings.

Do Muscovy Ducks Lay Eggs Every Day?

Muscovy duck hens may not lay eggs every day. Diet and climate affect how these ducks lay. Hens that don’t consume protein-rich foods are less likely to lay every day. Muscovy ducks are less likely to lay eggs every day in winter when there is cold. Cold affects every bird’s laying patterns, including Muscovy ducks.

When do Muscovy Ducks Start Laying?

Muscovy ducks are some of the best egg-laying ducks. Muscovy hens usually start laying when they are approximately six months old. However, some hens can take longer to lay, depending on the diet you give to your Muscovy hens.

How Many Eggs do Muscovy Ducks Lay Before Sitting?

A Muscovy duck hen can lay between 10 to 20 eggs before sitting. A Muscovy hen will be broody after laying over 20 eggs. She will then sit on the eggs until the eggs hatch into ducklings. The hen will start laying eggs between 2 and 4 months, although it will depend on the diet you give to your Muscovy ducks.

How to Make Muscovy Duck Lay More Eggs?

Here is how to make your Muscovy ducks lay more eggs.

– Give Your Muscovy Ducks Proper Diet

Muscovy ducks can lay many eggs depending on their diet.  Although Muscovy ducks don’t lay quite often compared to chickens, the ducks can lay a substantial number of eggs if you introduce the proper diet to these incredible birds.

The best foods to give your Muscovy egg-laying hens to boost their egg production include oats and vegetables such as lettuce. Free-range Muscovy ducks can access most of the nutrition they need to have a high egg production.

High-quality duck feed can also help your Muscovy ducks increase their egg production. High-quality duck feed is not only fresh. It also has numerous nutrients to help your Muscovy ducks increase their egg production. Young Muscovy duck hens can lay more eggs by introducing high-quality feed to their daily diet.

It would help if you started feeding your Muscovy ducks high-quality feed from the time they are three weeks old. The hens will maintain their egg production cycle if you start giving them quality feed earlier. Consider giving your egg-laying Muscovy duck hens at least 35 lbs. of high-quality feed.

– Increased Lighting

Lighting affects Muscovy ducks’ eggs laying capabilities. Your Muscovy duck hens won’t lay many eggs if they live in a coop with poor lighting. The absence of light in the coop can hamper your ducks’ egg production.

To improve your ducks’ egg production, you should install some artificial lighting in the coop. Providing adequate lighting, especially at night, will encourage your Muscovy ducks to lay more eggs.

– Provide Your Ducks with Plenty of Water

Water is essential to egg-laying Muscovy ducks. Water affects ducks’ egg production, including Muscovy ducks. Having some water around will help your ducks lay more eggs. Water will not only encourage your Muscovy ducks to lay more eggs. Water will also improve your ducks’ overall health.

– Limit Stress

Stress can affect your Muscovy ducks’ laying patterns. Allow your Muscovy ducks out to help the birds relieve stress.  Predators can also induce stress to your ducks, ultimately slowing down their egg production in the long run.

Seal your yard to prevent predators from accessing your ducks. For instance, you can erect a fence to hinder predators from accessing your Muscovy egg-laying hens. Ducks living in poor conditions can also suffer from stress, ultimately impacting negatively on their egg production.

Simply put, try to eliminate any stressful situations that can slow down your ducks’ egg-laying pattern.

– Balance the Ratio of Hens and Drakes

Having too many drakes in your flock makes your drakes lay fewer eggs. Having too many drakes can stress your Muscovy hens.  Furthermore, having too many Muscovy drakes in your flock can create competition among the drakes, which can leave some of the hens with injuries.

Consider balancing the ratio of drakes vs hens. Ideally, you should have one drake for every six Muscovy hens in your flock.

– Eliminate Old Ducks

Age affects Muscovy ducks’ laying capabilities. Young Muscovy hens usually lay rottenly. Old hens, however, don’t lay eggs daily. Get rid of old Muscovy hens from your flock since such hens won’t boost your duck eggs’ production.

– Prepare for Winter

Most duck breeds will stop laying eggs as the weather gets colder. You can still make your muscovy ducks lay eggs during the winter if you give them the right conditions. Make sure you have proper heating of the coop and you provide them with enough light too.

Also, proper nutrients during the winter are essential if you want your ducks to keep laying eggs. Don’t expect your ducks to lay as much during the cold season, but still, you can have a couple of eggs weekly.

Are Muscovy Duck Eggs Good to Eat?

Yes, Muscovy ducks are some of the best eggs you can eat. Muscovy duck eggs are more nutritious compared to chicken eggs. These eggs are large, unlike some of the duck eggs from different duck species. Furthermore, Muscovy duck eggs taste better than most duck eggs.

Muscovy duck eggs have plenty of protein, making them suitable for people striving to build lean muscle. They have few calories and fat, meaning you won’t gain weight from eating these eggs.

Furthermore, Muscovy duck eggs have plenty of nutrients, including iron, vitamins, folate and selenium. Your body can benefit a lot from consuming these minerals.

How Many Eggs Can a Muscovy Duck Hatch?

Muscovy ducks have a higher hatching rate compared to other ducks. These ducks can hatch between 12 and 15 eggs. Some broody Muscovy hens can hatch more than 15 eggs. Muscovy duck hens are pretty good sitters. They will remain in their hatching nest until they hatch all the eggs.

Conclusion

Muscovy ducks are some of the best egg-laying ducks. These ducks can lay many eggs if you provide them with proper conditions and diet. Furthermore, these ducks are suitable for meat production since they grow fast and heavier than most duck species. Consider keeping Muscovy ducks if you want high-quality duck eggs.