How long does it take for a shelduck to start laying eggs?
SummaryThe time from duckling to egg laying for shelducks is generally around day 75 to 120. With good feeding, they can lay around 300 eggs a year. The egg production of shelducks tends to be stable in the first two years, and begins to decline from the third year.
The shelduck is a duck breed that lays relatively many eggs. It can generally start laying eggs around day 75 to 120 of feeding, and the timing of egg laying varies somewhat among different breeds. Shelducks lay relatively many eggs in the first two years, and by the third year, the amount of egg laying will decline somewhat. On average, a single shelduck lays around 300 eggs a year, though this is also inseparable from everyday feeding techniques.
How to raise shelducks so they lay more eggs
1. Pay attention to the two peak egg-laying periods
Shelducks lay the most eggs from March to May and from August to October each year, so during these two periods you must do the corresponding management well to increase the amount of egg laying.
2. Keep appropriately more drakes
You can add some more drakes on top of the normal male-to-female ratio. This can stimulate the females to ovulate more, thereby increasing egg production somewhat.
3. Feeding techniques
You can add some honey to their diet, feeding it for about five days in a row, then stopping for fifteen days. Repeating this can make the shelducks' egg production better, and the eggs larger. You can also feed more foods such as paddy rice, especially during egg laying, as this can increase egg production.
In summer, you can give the shelducks some tea to help them beat the heat. When the shelducks are comfortable, they can increase egg production. You can also let the shelducks eat foods such as small fish and small shrimp, which can meet their nutritional needs and thereby bring egg production up. Finally, you also need to supplement feed in good time to avoid letting them go hungry.
4. Careful free-range raising
When raising shelducks, pay attention to the time periods. In early spring, let them out later and bring them back to the coop earlier, and also pay attention to cold protection. In summer, pay attention to the temperature; during the high temperatures at noon, reduce the time spent active outside. After shelducks have eaten their fill, they may still not like to move around, which will make them put on fat and also affect egg production. So you should let the shelducks exercise in good time, which can keep them energetic and increase egg production.
5. Site management
In the free-range site, it is best not to have things like pesticides and chemical fertilizers, so as not to affect their health and thereby affect their egg production.