Fertilized duck eggs
Posted by Russell French on August 5, 2005
Q: do female ducks lay eggs when they are not fertilized by a male duck?
Habitat: pond/lake
State: Arkansas
Habitat: pond/lake
A: They sure do. Most of the chicken eggs you buy at the store are unfertilized - the hens are never with any roosters but they lay eggs anyway. A female duck that is not with a male in the spring will also lay eggs even though her eggs are not fertilized. Domesticated ducks and chickens are much more "programmed" to lay eggs, regardless of other factors, than are wild ducks and chickens so you may find a difference if you're talking about domestic ducks rather than wild ones. Thanks for your question.
John Wiessinger ( August 6, 2005)
Filed under: Birds