Are Pekin Ducks Good Layers?

Although many duck keepers raise Pekin ducks for meat, these ducks are also good layers. They can lay more eggs annually than most duck species. These ducks also lay large white eggs, which are also highly nutritious. Furthermore, these ducks are easy to keep outdoors since they prefer foraging on grasses, weeds, worms, and bugs.

How Many Eggs Do Pekin Ducks Lay a Year?

Pekin ducks are overly good layers. These ducks can lay between 200 and 300 large white eggs annually. Pekin hens start laying when they are around 40 weeks old. If you give them a proper diet, your Pekin ducks can also lay extra-large white eggs.

Do Pekin Ducks Lay All Year Round?

Pekin ducks can lay all year round unless they are hatching. Hens will lay one egg daily for one year. She will sit on the eggs after laying between 8 and 14 eggs. The hen will incubate her eggs once she completes laying.

How to Make Your Pekin Ducks Lay More?

Keeping Pekin ducks for eggs can be an excellent idea since you will have a constant supply of eggs. You can also make your Pekin ducks lay more eggs. Here are some tips on how you can make your Pekin ducks lay more and larger eggs.

– High-Quality Feed

Like other duck species, Pekin ducks require high-quality foods to maintain their egg production. Make sure the duck feed is fresh to stop your Pekin ducks from getting bacteria that can make the ducks ill in the long run.

Consider feeding your ducks with high-quality feed, especially when they are below three weeks old. Add the amount of feed you give to your ducks when they reach the egg-laying stage. Ideally, provide the ducks with at least 6-7 ounces of quality feed daily.

Moderate the amount of feed you provide to your ducks to avoid an instance where the ducks will become overweight. Overweight Pekin duck hens don’t usually lay eggs frequently. The best way to know whether you are overfeeding your ducks is by checking whether the ducks have finished up all the food you provide to them.

If there is food remaining, then you are overfeeding your ducks.

– Install Lighting

Pekin ducks aren’t seasonal layers, unlike chickens. Nonetheless, increasing light in your ducks’ coop will help promote their egg production. The absence of light can slow down your ducks’ egg production cycle.

To avoid an instance whereby your ducks will not lay eggs due to the absence of light, consider installing some artificial lighting in their coop. Ensure your Pekin ducks have access to light for at least 16 to 18 hours each day. It helps to increase lighting in the duck coop when the hens reach the egg-laying stage.

– Clean Water

Just as important as feed is to Pekin chickens to increase their eggs production, water is also equally crucial to your egg-laying ducks. Pekin ducks, like other ducks, can drink stinky, dirty water.

Unclean water can, however, slow your ducks’ egg-laying capabilities due to bacteria and pathogens that can make your Pekin ducks sick, ultimately stopping them from laying many eggs. Give your ducks clean and fresh water to encourage good egg production and promote good health among your ducks.

– Reduce Stress

Like chickens, stress can affect your Pekin ducks negatively, making them lay less frequently. Pekin ducks, like other duck species, love routine. Try to limit stress in your Pekin ducks to encourage egg production. Letting your ducks out is an excellent way to reduce stress. Pekin ducks will lay more eggs when they are happy.

Avoid neglecting your Pekin ducks if you want them to lay more. Keep changing their bedding to keep them clean and seal the chicken coop to protect the ducks from predators, making your ducks stressed.

Predators are the most common culprits when it comes to duck stress. Do whatever you can to ensure your ducks are free of stress. You can get a security dog to scare off potential predators that can make your ducks stressed.

– Don’t Keep Drakes

Too many drakes in your flock can discourage your Pekin hens from laying. Hens will become stressed if the number of drakes exceeds their number. Drakes will always fight for the fewer hens in the flock, which ultimately makes the hens less likely to exploit their laying potential.

Drakes can also disturb the hens while they are laying. Furthermore, drakes can injure the hens as they fight with other drakes over hens. Such fights will ultimately stress the hens. To avoid a situation where drakes will make your Pekin hens stressful, have a proportionate number of hens in your flocks. Reduce the number of drakes to at least one drake per single hen.

– Protection from Cold

Severe weather fluctuations can halt your ducks’ laying cycle. If you keep your Pekin ducks in an area with extremely low temperatures, they won’t lay many eggs. Cold stops Pekin ducks from laying the same way cold halts chickens’ laying cycle. Pekin ducks are susceptible to weather like most duck species like Muscovy ducks.

While you can’t change the weather patterns, there are some measures you can put in place to protect your Pekin ducks from weather fluctuations. For instance, you can prove your duck coop against cold and drafts. Furthermore, you can install warmer bedding to keep the coop warm and to protect them from freezing.

For How Long Can a Pekin Duck Lay?

Pekin ducks can lay for over 40 weeks. Some Pekin hens can also lay for more than 40 weeks, depending on their diet, living conditions, and weather.

Can Pekin Ducks Lay Without Drake?

Yes, Pekin ducks can lay eggs without a drake. The only thing is that they will lay unfertilized eggs that can’t hatch into ducklings.

Conclusion

Pekin ducks are some of the best egg-laying ducks. They are also excellent meat producers, thanks to their huge size. These ducks will provide you will plenty of quality duck eggs annually. Consider keeping Pekin ducks if you want an excellent egg-laying duck breed.