when do ducks start laying eggs

Ducks typically start laying eggs when they reach about 4 to 7 months of age (16 to 28 weeks). Smaller breeds like bantams and Indian Runners often start laying earlier, around 4 months, while heavier breeds such as Pekins and Muscovies tend to begin later, usually around 6 months. For Muscovy ducks, laying often starts closer to 25 to 26 weeks of age. In the wild, ducks usually start laying at the beginning of the breeding season, which is spring. Domesticated ducks can also be seasonal in their laying patterns, influenced by daylight hours. Ducks need about 15 hours of light a day to trigger laying, so artificial lighting can be used to extend laying into other seasons or earlier than usual. Egg laying is not dependent on the presence of a drake (male duck) since females lay eggs regardless of mating. Ducks may start mating before they begin laying eggs, typically starting mating around 3 to 6 months old, but laying generally starts a few weeks later. Overall, if ducks are older than 7 months and haven't started laying, it may be due to the season or other conditions rather than age alone.