as mine are a while off laying eggs, I would just like to ask why I have seen comments about washing them or not does it do something to the shells or are they not water proof and I understand they lay first thing in the morning is that correct, is there anything else i need to know x
Thanks Mo x
tags do work as I see Sara asked similar a year ago but would still like to know more upto date thoughts
xx
Hi Mo, my Campbells generally lay first thing, we let them out between 7.30 and 8.30am and they have layed them all by then. Having said that, just lately their laying has been a bit irregular, we don't always get 4 and sometimes they have broken a couple. We gently wash ours in warm water and that seems to be fine.
It's very exciting when you get your first egg!
Rachel
I can imagine the excitment, I've read some people keep the first egg, I assume they do that blowing, but thats another topic lol, as you know I have a camera in the shed so may even get to see it, mine are normaly out just after 7 apart from Sundays, for the neighbours sake, when they begin laying do I not let them out until they have
Mo x
Hi Mo,
I was told never to wash eggs as the shell is porous, but i have found that Matilda's eggs have a thick waxy coating on them that you can scrape off and you can't pencil a date on them like my others.
Some come out spotlessly clean others a bit pooey, but we've never had a problem with contamination. I only sell clean ones of course :)
Sarah
Hi Mo,
I don't wash the eggs. If you are selling them to farm shops etc then you shouldn't wash them.
If you wash them for yourself then the water needs to be warmer than the egg so that the water doesn't go through the porous shell.
I find that the eggs are cleaner if the straw is kept clean.
My hens used to peck at the duck eggs and then the eggs would get covered in egg and shell but don't have this problem now that the hens are in another hut!!!
My ducks also lay early in the morning and I generally get 4-6 eggs before 9am. Sometimes one or two of the ducks will lay outside and they have now picked out a nesting area in the veg garden so I can keep track of their laying if it's outside.
Mine make a funny noise when sitting on a nest and about to lay, a sort of machine gunning repetitive quacking. Am trying to get the noise on video but when I point the video recorder at the outdoor nest the duck always goes quiet even though I can't see her and I'm sure she can't see me, she somehow knows I'm there waiting to put her egg laying on youtube!
Hope this helps.
BestWishes
Sara @ farmingfriends
Hi
I'm new to farming friends. I live in Spain and I have ducks, geese, chickens, ginuea fowl and turkeys. When I was a boy (in Northern Ireland) my grandfather had chickens and he told me never wash eggs. He cleaned the eggs with a thing that looked like a blackboard eraser. I have now made my own cleaner using a block of wood (6"x1.5"x1.5)which I covered with an old piece of towel and then with grade 320 emery paper, stapled over it. I find this works well and all my eggs are clean without getting them wet.
Brilliant idea Bill ,Sure this will interest all members who wish to sell or even just give away to friends. I have geese and chooks and am in France. Welcome from another member . Mama
i didnt realise you werent meant to wash the eggs, sometimes they come out clean tho, my little daisy hasnt laid an egg since i got the runner ducks which is one week ago, shes on strike!! sometimes when you introduce new ducks can the old ones stop laying while they get to know them???
Hi Quackers1984, Know you don't wash eggs as there is a risk of contamination , especially if you are selling or hatching the eggs. Your Daisy has probably stopped laying as it is the time to do so, it should not make a lot of difference that you have brought in others. Maybe the ducky crew members can advise on this .Regards Mama
Hi any change will affect duck behaviour, all of us duck owners are experiencing egg laying difficulties atm. I have 4 layers and only one has been laying for well over two weeks. They may be moulting, the weather is wetter/colder. any or all of these factors could be causing your girl not to lay. She will start up again when she is settled again.
When selling, I clean the worst eggs with fine sandpaper but leave the others. No one ever seems to mind :)
Sarah
Hi Everyone, Just wanted to say I love the idea of blowing the first egg - if Darwin is a girl I am going to do that =D
Hi All
The sandpaper idea is good to clean the eggs, I like them to be right for selling. I am not getting many at all now and I put it down to the new ducks coming in plus the time of year.
I hope laying from all of them will resume when they are ready, as the feed is dear!!
Lorna
Hi everyone! I have a Peking Duck and have had her for a year and half. She rules the roost here! For anyone interested, there is a really cute web site that I love to go to called indoorducks.com. I got on to them when I needed a pair of duck shoes for my Sophie's bumblefoot. I do have a question. I like to give my eggs to the Salvation Army when I have too many at home, but I do worry about the freshness. My understanding is that if the eggs are not cleaned (by water) they maintain a protective coating and will retain freshness. I wipe my eggs with a damp/dry paper towel (if necessary) when I give them away. Sometimes it can be two weeks before I have enough eggs that I need to move them. I hope this is not too long to keep refrigerated. I really do like the idea of the board, cloth, and emery. where does the emery go? Confused here.
Hi Glenda.
Eggs can keep for up to 4 weeks. in fact ours last a lot longer than that and we have eaten them successfully.
I find the white can go runny if refrigerated.
I think Bills idea is the emery paper (fine sandpaper) gets stapled over the cloth which is wrapped around a block of wood.
I have 9 white campbells and 3 pekinXcampbells
Regards,
Sarah
Hi Glenda,
I have sold duck eggs to farm shops and usually put 3 weeks on the eggs although there is no legislation for other sorts of eggs like hen eggs.
I store them in a cold room until I take them to the farm shop etc so that they are not being refrigerated then into warm air then refrigerated again.
Bill's idea is great!
I believe that if you are not selling eggs but using them for yourself then may can clean with warm water. The water has to be warmer than the egg so that the potous holes in the shell don't swell and let the water in, so I am led to believe but as I sometimes sell my eggs I don't do this but just thought I would mention it!
Welcome to the farmingfriends forum. I have 17 ducks ot varying breeds!
Kind regards
Sara @ farmingfriends
Hi Glenda
Thanks for the link to indoor ducks, how marvelous to get these harness in the bumble bee design. I just could not help laughing. I can just imagine my ducks running around dressed in these. Oh dear whatever next!!
Welcome to the forum Glenda
Best Wishes
Lorna
Hi Bill,
Just wanted to say welcome to the farmingfriends forum. I keep guinea fowl, hens, ducks and quail so similar to you! Have considered geese but find them abit scary!
Like your brush for cleaning eggs, great idea!
Kind regards
Sara @ farmingfriends
I checked out the indoorducks site and LOL at the harness costumes. Too funny!
Hmmm nappies on that site!! LOL anyone ever done that to their ducks?
I'm also curious to know if anyone has ever done the diaper thing.
Somehow I just can't imagine the duck keeping it on, and what a mess it must be to change.....
The photos are quite funny though.
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