Hello,

I was wondering when my call duck will start laying eggs? Do they lay their first year? I am a novice to this call duck world and need some advice.  What type of an atmosphere she needs to lay eggs?

Thanks.

Call Ducks will lay their first year. If they are 2012 hatched, then they should lay in spring of 2013.

My calls look like they will start very soon.  When they are getting ready to lay, their abdomen starts to get fuller. Last year mine started to lay on March 5th.

I used breeding hutches for breeding.  When larger space is given to them, they get more into hunting for bugs rather than mating and as a result the fertility dropped.

My call ducks generally start to lay eggs in March.

I think bucket nest boxes would do good as well. If you google, you can view images of this set up. Last year, I used a row of 4 buckets in a row as nest boxes and they produced eggs from February until June.  Good conditions for a nest box are lots of straw or another bedding material. These can be removed so easily for cleaning; they are not nailed or screwed. Most of all, it saved me a lot on wood cost.

The bucket would be nice and easy and I hope the calls would love it for sure . Call ducks are the cutest. They just make me so happy every morning. Thanks for all your knowledgeable info. Hoping to see my hen becoming a mom soon!!