How Many Eggs Do Pekin Ducks Lay?

Pekin ducks are considered a perfect choice of poultry among keepers from different parts of the world. These ducks are not only good-looking but also productive. Mostly they are raised for their delicious meat and eggs. Plus, their docile and pleasant personality makes them easy to raise.

So, if you are planning to raise ducks for egg production, Pekin ducks are highly recommended for you. But the question is, how many eggs do Pekin ducks lay? Read on to find out the average number of eggs that you should expect from your Pekin ducks.

Pekin Duck Egg Production

Some people refer to Pekin ducks as the White Pekin Pekin, American Pekin, or Long Island Pekin. Whichever name you choose to call them, rest assured that their egg-laying ability is excellent. As a matter of fact, Pekin is a duck famous for laying lots of eggs. The duck is capable of producing a large number of eggs per year. Their egg production starts at a very early age.

Female Pekin ducks start producing eggs when they are about five or six months old. Just like other types of poultry, these birds require at least 8 hours of light daily to make their egg-laying process a success. Make sure to provide them with artificial lights if they reach their egg-laying age in the cold season or winter period.

On average, Pekins lay between 200 and 300 eggs a year. Usually, their eggs are large, thicker, and white. The eggs also have durable shells. As you may know, shell durability plays a significant role during the laying time. This is because female decks prefer dropping their eggs practically anywhere rather than laying them directly into their nests or laying boxes. After dropping the eggs they roll them into their nests, so their shells need to be strong enough to withstand the rolling process.

The best thing about the laying habit of Pekin ducks is their predictable egg-laying schedule. In most cases, they choose to lay eggs at specific times of the day. Some do it during the morning hours while others lay during the evening hours.

Laying eggs during morning or evening hours comes with great advantages to you. Unlike laying eggs during the day, laying when it is light out allows you to collect eggs easily. It also prevents accidental damage to eggs.

How to Maximize Pekin Duck Egg Production

Pekin ducks are capable of laying eggs for a period exceeding 40 weeks. Their laying duration depends on various factors. Their diet, weather conditions, security, and living conditions are top factors that play an integral role in egg production among different duck breeds. So, ensure you have all these factors in check before bringing in your first batch of Pekin ducks.

Having several Pekin ducks in your backyard is a great idea because you will have an endless supply of fresh eggs for sale and your family’s consumption. However, you can only enjoy this constant supply of eggs if you make your ducks produce more eggs. Check out these helpful tips and good practices to help you maximize Pekin duck egg production on your farm.

Give them High-Quality Feeds

Good quality food is essential for the survival of your Pekin ducks. Also, a nutritionally balanced diet plays an integral role in the growth, health, and production of eggs. With that in mind, make sure to provide your flock of female Pekin ducks with fresh food regularly.

Start feeding them high-quality food as early as when they are three weeks old. Increase their portion as they grow until they are old enough to start laying eggs. Give them at least 6 to 7 ounces of recommended feed daily to enhance their egg production. Don’t forget to supply them with fresh, clean water daily to promote good health and boost egg production.

Provide a Secure Shelter

Shelter or coop is another basic need to keep your egg-laying Pekin ducks comfortable and safe throughout. Their shelter should be located in a safe place away from predators or intruders. Aside from that, install lighting in the coop, especially during the winter months to promote egg production.

Limit Stress

Just like other types of poultry, Pekin ducks are negatively affected by stress. Increased stress causes a sharp decline in egg production. As such, try as much as possible to reduce stress around your Pekin ducks. Do so by letting them out to roam the backyard, changing their bedding frequently, and enhancing security around their coop to avoid stress caused by predators.

Keep Away Drakes

Drakes in your flock of Pekin ducks are likely to discourage egg production. Female ducks get stressed easily due to the high number of drakes around them. As a result, their egg production declines due to a lack of exploiting their laying potential. Besides, too many drakes are likely to molest female ducks or even injure them during their usual fights with other drakes. These frequent fights lead to stress and ultimately low egg production. Reduce the number of drakes or do away with them to protect your flock of egg-laying ducks from unnecessary stress.

How to Collect and Store Pekin Duck Eggs

Pekin ducks are likely to lay their eggs early in the morning or during the night. Therefore, you need to collect these eggs as soon as possible to prevent damage due to breakages or becoming dirty. Use clean plastic egg filler trays to collect eggs before separating dirty eggs from the clean ones.

Clean the dirty ones using warm water. Likewise, fumigate the collected eggs using formaldehyde gas immediately after collecting them. Store them at 13 degrees Celcius and within a relative humidity of about 75%. Ensure that all eggs are stored with their point end facing down.

Use of Pekin Duck Eggs

You can use Pekin duck eggs for cooking. You can also sell to generate some income for your family use. Pekin eggs are rich in more protein and fat than chicken eggs. In this sense, they are a perfect choice for cooking or baking for your family. You can use them to prepare fluffier cakes, add more structure to baked bread or make silky custards.

Conclusion

Pekin ducks are highly treasured for their beauty and gentle personality. Not to forget their highly nutritious meat and eggs. Keepers prefer them for egg production since they are excellent layers. In a year, one Pekin duck can lay an average of 300 jumbo-size white eggs.

Their egg production is driven largely by good care in the form of a well-balanced diet, clean fresh water, security, and occasional vet services. Once you meet your Pekin ducks’ basic requirements, you can expect to collect eggs throughout the year unless they start hatching.