March 17, 2016

Duck Eggs!


Our first! The ducks have picked out a corner in the goatie girls' shed and created a little nest there. The other day two of the ducks were standing by it, discussing something.

Shared nest? Seems a precarious spot, doesn't it? However, I find
chicken eggs in the goat shed all the time - in the hay feeder or randomly
laid on the floor. Amazingly, the goats haven't stepped on an egg yet!

I took a peek and found those two eggs. The next day I found two more. Yesterday I found three.

How do they look compared to chicken eggs?

Muscovy eggs on the left, Black Australorp eggs on the right.

They are larger than our 'Lorp eggs, which are a nice large chicken-egg size.

How do they taste?


Excellent! I might even like them better than chicken eggs.


The ducks had abandoned the chicken coop as sleeping quarters awhile back because Mr. Rooster kept chasing them out. They still make several daily trips to visit the feeder in the coop when he isn't around.

Now I need to get serious about finding another drake so that if one of the ladies is so inclined, she can raise a batch of ducklings.


39 comments:

Unknown said...

For the record,, I won't be naming any of your ducks......

Chris said...

Wow, they're big! Spring is definitely arriving at your place, while summer departs ours. Do you find the eggs, richer tasting?

I've heard you're either a fan or hate duck eggs. I haven't been game enough to try.

Tricky Wolf said...

wow, very nice! I've read so many good things about muscovys, the eggs look lovely

Dawn said...

I have some ducks on order after losing ours to a fox, we miss those eggs, Great news that they are starting to lay I hope you manage to find a drake, there is plenty on offer around here shame I cant send you one :-)

Dani said...

Lucky you :)

Farmer Barb said...

I have always wondered if they were gamey at all. I do know that for baking, the yolks are fattier so they make a richer cake and an "eggier" egg bread.

Leigh said...

LOL. That's okay, they all have the same name, anyway. I call each of them "Duck-Duck." And all of the chickens are "Mrs. Chicken," except the rooster. :)

Leigh said...

I was timidly curious myself, but you're right, they are richer tasting. The best comparison is that they are like chicken eggs that have been scrambled with a bit of mild cheese. No actual cheesy flavor, but it has that hint of something extra good.

Leigh said...

I can't recommend muscovys enough. I never would have thought to get them on my own, I got them in a trade for a pig. I love this duck! They are quiet, don't need a lot of water (they love their wading pool for dips and bathing), and are a hoot to watch. They've currently been rooting (scooping?) out under all the straw around the goat barn. There are plenty of grubs under there for the eating. And they love slugs too,

Leigh said...

I should be able to get a drake soon. Males of all critter species are usually easiest to come by. I'm just waiting on a nearby location and good price.

Leigh said...

I do feel blessed. :)

Leigh said...

Oh no, not gamey at all! If I were to serve you scrambled eggs without mentioning they were duck eggs, you would likely say, "These are delicious! What did you add? Cheese?" Like I told Chris, it's as though a mild cheese has been added, not detectable flavor-wise, but in richness.

Ed said...

I'm an adventurous eater and will try anything. I've eaten many things over the years that others have never even tried. So it pains me to say I have never eaten a duck egg. Quail, chicken, pheasant, fish and several other kinds of eggs, yes, but never duck. I will have to think about where I might find some duck eggs around here!

Leigh said...

You won't be sorry you did! But as Chris said, some people love 'em and some people hate 'em. Makes me wonder if different breeds of ducks produce different tasting eggs. Muscovy eggs are 5 star.

DFW said...

Good for you guys!. Those look realy good & I've also heard that duck eggs are so much better for baking. Not sure if my reply went through from my tablet but sorry to hear about your bee hive.

Renee Nefe said...

and now I'm hungry for farm fresh eggs! :D

PioneerPreppy said...

Wish our ram was a gentle towards the wayward eggs that get laid in his stall. He smashed at least 5 the other day.

Kat said...

If you really like scrambled eggs, you'll like duck eggs. If scrambled eggs are "meh, I'll take them or leave them" in your book, you probably won't like them. I always tell folks that they're like super-eggy eggs.
Personally, I don't care for them plain. However, they're all I use for cooking. I hate baking without them in the winter.

Leigh said...

Reply came through loud and clear! Comments about using them for cooking are starting to come in, so I think I need to bake a cake real soon. :)

Leigh said...

Did you ever find a supply?

Leigh said...

Oh dear, that's always the hazard of free-ranged chickens (that and being able to find them).

Leigh said...

Now I'm definitely going to have to bake a cake! We've had scrambled eggs so much that I confess to being a little tired of them, but it seemed a good way for first-time duck eggs. And I wasn't wrong! I really enjoy sunny-side-up on toast, so I'm curious how I'll like duck eggs like that.

Judy said...

When I had ducks I was not particularly fond of the eggs fried or scrambled, but I loved them in french toast and baking. I had Swedish Blues and Rouens so I wonder if the breed of duck has anything to do with the taste of the eggs?

anonymous said...

We have Pekin ducks. You can't beat the flavor in baked eggs or French toast. Delicious. But fried or scrambled... No. They have an unpleasant taste that I don't know how to describe. It's almost a hint of sweetness that doesn't suite savory dishes and little bit of muskiness. And the whites are very thick and turn rubbery when fried or hard boiled. But I love my ducks. I'd keep them for entertainment even if they didn't lay eggs.

Leigh said...

Judy, I've been wondering the same thing, although I don't plan to get more ducks in different breeds to find out. :) Maybe somebody with more duck experience can tell us(?)

Leigh said...

Interesting! I did not detect that in my Muscovy eggs, so I wonder if breed does make a difference. I'll be interested in what Dan thinks because he is more finely tuned to smells and flavors than I am. Can't wait to try that cake!

Susan said...

Love my duck eggs any way I've done them. I think that what they eat may influence their taste, much like it will milk. Just wait until you make pasta with them!

As far as finding a drake now, you may not have any luck getting ducklings this year. Ducks do their pair bonding in the fall, long before breeding season starts. A new drake right now would have to be pretty persuasive to successfully breed with your girls. I lost my drake this winter, so I'm hoping the ladies will accept one of the teenage boys in his stead. Duck meat comprises a fair amount of my diet.

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Wow! Look at the nice size of those eggs!! How is the taste different than chicken eggs? Nancy

kymber said...

oh my gawd - did you really have to brag and show pics of the eggs and then show them scrambled?!?!?! did you have to?!?!?! naw jest teasin' witchya! we have been trying to get some wild ducks to take up down near our river - there's tons of them around but with so much area on our river where there are no humans - there's no way they'll settle near humans! i even planted a ton of duckweed that i have to wade through to go for a dip in the river - but so far - none of the wild ducks seem interested! i loooove duck eggs and i am glad that you are enjoying yours!

sending much love (and jealousy - bahahahah!)! your friend,
kymber

Leigh said...

Pasta! What a great idea. Now I have to go get that pasta maker that's been on my Amazon wish list forever. :) You are likely right about diet, which is a factor in pork flavor too.

So if ducks pair up like geese, that means I'd need five drakes to have all fertile eggs? Hmm. I may need to rethink longterm duck numbers.

Leigh said...

I think they taste better than chicken eggs. :)

Leigh said...

Kymber, LOL, you're so cute. I can just picture you wading out amongst all that duck weed. :) But don't you and Jam ever think about getting homestead ducks???

Susan said...

Not quite, a single drake can handle multiple females. Even if they don't bond, you'll probably still see lots of duck sex happening. The drakes are randy beasts, but the females decide whether or not to let themselves be fertilized. Glad your ducks moved out of the hen house; the drakes can kill chickens having sex with them. I know, TMI...

Judy said...

Leigh - do some research, I think I read when I first got ducks that one drake could handle 5 hens easily. Usually I had 2 hens for every drake cause they were so much easier to take care of than chickens and didn't seem to fight like roosters.

Leigh said...

Susan and Judy, thanks. I don't want to keep a bunch of ducks, maybe whatever one drake can handle. Cause I sure am loving those duck eggs not to mention those ducks!

Jackie PN said...

Curious...I have never tried duck eggs before.

Jake said...

Yay!

I'm curious to see what solution you come up with for storing the duck eggs. One time, my sister brought us a dozen duck eggs in a regular-sized egg carton re-used from the grocery store. It had rubber bands around it to keep it closed, which made me smile every time I opened the fridge. :-)

Leigh said...

Well, opinions seem to vary quite a bit! It would be interesting to find someone who kept a lot of different ducks and did a taste comparison based on breed.

Leigh said...

A rubber band would definitely do it! I thought about giving my daughter a couple of them next time I take her some eggs, so I'll have to dig out a rubber band for that. So far we haven't had enough to store in the fridge yet; at 1 - 3 per day they get used up pretty quickly. Maybe I need a duck egg basket for the fridge. :)