Saxony. Khaki Campbell. Silver Appleyard. Ducks nest in the ground which makes keeping eggs clean for collection hard. Duck egg shells are more porous and so have a shorter shelf life than chicken eggs. Domestic Duck breeds are grouped into Heavy, Medium and Light weight classes in the standards. It’s interesting to note that, like the egg-specialist chicken breeds, the egg-specialist ducks are also lighter in weight, more high-strung in temperament, slower growing, and non-brooding. Bone of chest become very thin and soft.

Breeding: The Best Ducks for Egg Hatching.

If duck egg color is of interest to you, their tinted blue-green eggs will not disappoint.

Both duck breeds are good foragers, but also do well in confinement if they are provided with a good layer feed. Both tend to be nervous and flighty and they will stampede when startled. Just like chickens, duck breeds also come in miniature or rather Bantam sized ducks. Many duck breeds outlay even the most prolific layer chickens, and you can expect somewhere between 250-325 eggs a year from these super layers. Meat Breeds.

A good strain of runner will produce over 200 eggs a year. Almost wiped out during World War II, the breed enjoyed a resurgence in Europe by the 1950s but didn’t reach the United States until 1984.

Feathers, lips and legs are of various colored. All ducks will provide you with some eggs, but many breeds lay predominantly in the spring and summer, leaving you eggless for months at a time (due to their thick shells and membranes, duck eggs store in the ‘fridge for many months though, so you may be able to stockpile eggs for eggless periods if you have room). The breed declined in the 20th century because the market for duck eggs was declining and because of … Their meat is very tasty. … Here’s a list of duck breeds with a link to a complete guide to each duck breed (although this list is still in progress and some breeds are missing). They have a higher moisture content, a larger, richer yolk and more nutrient content than chicken eggs. Cayuga ducks lay charcoal gray or blackish eggs. In fact, they have had a profound influence on the breeding of most light ducks, including the very productive khaki Campbell.” And the Campbell is renowned for being capable of laying 300 delicious eggs a year. A duck egg contains 71.4 mg as compared to the 37 mg of a chicken egg. Welsh Harlequin. Cayugas are said to be very easily tamed if they are hand raised and are known as one of the hardiest duck breeds. Best Duck Breeds for Eggs. 14 Duck Breeds at a glance telling you their breed characteristics, temperament, amount of eggs laid a year, interesting facts, broodiness, size and which birds make a good meat bird. The Saxony Duck is a unique waterfowl breed. Aylesbury.

Photo Credit Cackle Hatchery.

The Saxony duck hails from Germany and their population is threatened. This waterfowl breed is an exciting new addition for us at McMurray Hatchery. Duck eggs ship on Friday of the week chosen. Welsh Harlequin. BOX 458

BEST DUCK BREEDS: GORGEOUS AND ENCHANTING Click on a breed name to see pictures of the duck breed and read about its history, use, egg production, meat production, appearance, and more.

Comparison of the Best Duck Breeds for Egg Production.

Different ducks within the same breed can lay white or green eggs, which is different than chicken breeds, since all hens within the same breed lay the same color egg (except for Easter Eggers which lay green, bluish, pinkish, cream or tan eggs, depending on the hen). They take longer to hatch. Duck eggs are more difficult to incubate due to high humidity requirements. Most duck eggs are white, but they can come in a pale bluish-green, pale pinkish-cream or even charcoal gray. Murray McMurray Hatchery P.O. Ducks are known for their consistency in egg laying, unlike chickens.

Breed. Best Duck Breeds for Eggs. Duck eggs are also fantastic in baked goods. Description.

Most breeds lay white eggs, but Runners, Mallards and a few select other breeds often lay greenish-blue eggs. They produce the biggest eggs. These large ducks are very active and have good temperaments. Duck eggs have a higher content of the much-needed Omega-3 fatty acid compound. Silver Appleyard. Duck Breeds for Egg Production. Commercially, ducks have been bred for their meat, foie gras and eggs and have therefore contributed to the domestic breeds of duck we still have today.

Aylesbury. A fairly new breed to the United States, Saxonies were bred from Rouen, Pekin and Pomeranian duck breeds in the 1930s in Germany as a good all-purpose duck.
Duck eggs have 9.6 grams of fat making them higher in fat content than chicken eggs which contain 5 grams of fat.

They will lay between 100 to 225 eggs a year.