We didn’t know the exact age of the ducklings when we brought them home in July, but I read that ducks can start laying eggs around 5-6 months of age, and wrote on the calendar at the beginning of January- The ducks could start laying anytime now! We were excited at that possibility. We put a few things in their house that they could use for nesting boxes. (An old enamel pot Jeff had used for canning, and a crate.) Each day though when I headed down to greet the ducks in the morning, and didn’t see an egg, I would think- Is it too cold? Will they really start laying in the middle of winter? Maybe they won’t start laying until the spring…

And then one day I grabbed a handful of bedding to spread in the duck house and saw something out of the corner of my eye. I did a double take. Could it be? An egg! I left the egg where it was, wanting B to see it. I went straight up the hill to tell him the news, where he was busy taking care of the goats. I had a big smile on my face and before I even got close enough to tell him, he guessed what I was so happy about. He ran down to the ducks, and came back with that same big smile, telling me he saw it. If you’ve raised birds for eggs before, you know how exciting that first egg can be!

Then I headed down to finish spreading the bedding in the duck house and give them fresh water. And what did I see? Another egg! Two eggs?! I had to hold the eggs side by side to really believe there were two. I hadn’t told B where I had found the egg when I first came up, and he had spotted a different one altogether. We both saw a different egg, thinking there was only one. I couldn’t believe that two of our ladies started laying on the very same day. Two eggs! We were delighted. B couldn’t wait to go share the news with Jeff.

That was on January 20th. Since then, we’ve made scrambled eggs (with some of the delicious fermented jalepenos from the garden on them, we have plans to make many more this year.) Jeff fried duck eggs and put them on top of sprouted corn tostados and beans. YUM! (That’s one of our favorite meals.) We hardboiled eggs and ate them with some of the arugula and sunflower sprouts that Jeff’s been growing this winter. I have yet to bake with them, but I can’t wait. We love duck eggs. When we started raising quail, I thought quail eggs were my absolute favorite eggs. They are delicious, and could not be more adorable. (See the picture showing the duck eggs next to the quail eggs to show size?) However, since I love duck eggs so much as well, at this point I’d have to say quail eggs and duck eggs are tied for me, I love them both and in different ways.

Then on February 1st, we got three eggs! That’s been the excitement this week, three eggs a day. Sometimes we’ve found the eggs in the nesting boxes and sometimes we’ve found them laying in random spots in their house. Yesterday we found all three eggs in one of the nesting boxes! (At first I didn’t see the third one, it was hiding under the other two, B pointed it out to me.) It makes me really happy when they lay in the nesting boxes.

I wondered about getting the eggs if we let the ducks free range all day- won’t they be hiding their eggs everywhere? Our friend who has been raising ducks for a long time, told us that ducks usually lay their eggs in the early morning (and I’ve read they can be pretty consistent with their egg laying time each day), so as long as you let them out a little later (she aims for after 10 AM), then you get your eggs for the day most of the time. Our other friends’ ducks make a nest in a fern here and there, but the kids enjoy the treasure hunt.

Duck eggs are not always easy to source in our area, they are in very high demand around here. Many people with allergies to chicken eggs are able to eat duck eggs, one of the reasons they are so popular. Also, they are so nutritious. We’ve always preferred duck eggs to chicken eggs, and have been grateful to be able to buy them from a friend when they were available, but having our own regular source of duck eggs is really wonderful. We appreciate having them available to us more often, and also to be saving some money doing it ourselves.

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, eggs are expensive these days! The price of feed has gone up and up. If you want organic, free range eggs from local farmers, the going rate in our area is now $10 for a dozen chicken eggs, and $12 for a dozen duck eggs. I know, I can hear you gasping too. Someone complained about farmers charging too much and I told them my perspective. I know quite a few people who sell eggs and I can tell you that it’s not a good money making venture for them. One farmer told me it was not worth their time and they weren’t able to make a profit at it, they seriously considered dropping it altogether but their customers kept demanding them so they kept the eggs going to keep the customers happy while they purchased the other products they actually made money on. Another friend did the math and actually lost money doing it. I’m telling you this because as stressful as it is to see the high price on a carton of eggs, don’t knock the farmers until you’ve been in their shoes- I can tell you that no farmers I know are getting rich off selling eggs!

All that being said, I understand all the high costs can be hard on the budget. I’ve been hearing a lot of conversations about people wondering- is it worth raising your own birds for eggs? Whether that be chickens or ducks? For our family, we could not compete with the least expensive eggs at the grocery store. No way, we wouldn’t be able to produce eggs for cheaper than that. But, we don’t want to eat those eggs from factory farm caged birds. We don’t want to support that way of farming food production and we don’t want to consume that kind of food. Can we produce our own eggs here on the homestead for less money than we can buy them locally, for organic and free range eggs? Yes, we can save some money that way. We can give our birds room to forage to reduce feed costs, we can provide them with extra garden greens and kitchen leftovers, and we can do the daily work of caring for them each day ourselves.

Saving a little money is not the only benefit though. To me, having that food security of eggs in your own backyard is priceless. I don’t shop at the grocery store very often, we have a few places where we buy dried foods, and for many years we’ve purchased most of the vegetables, meat, and milk that we don’t produce on the homestead from nearby farms. So I’m not always aware of how well things are stocked at the grocery store, but I’ve been hearing from a lot of people that eggs have been sold out everywhere and have been very hard to get. All the more reason to consider raising your own birds, or finding a neighbor or local farmer to support in doing it.

I love good food, and I appreciate saving money. You know what else I love? I love how doing the animal chores gets me outside, moving around, every single day, no matter the weather. I love how the ducks greet me each morning with loud quacks of excitment when I go to open their door (they can’t wait to start running around), and how the quail sing to me when I bring them food. I love collecting the quail eggs and duck eggs in a basket each day, and marveling at each one. I love having a connection to each and every animal that provides nourishment for our family. We care for the animals and the animals care for us. But it nourishes more than just our bodies, it nourishes our spirits as well. Yes, it’s a lot of work every day to care for all the animals here on the homestead, but for us, it’s definitely worth it.

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From before:
The Ducks
Our Experience Hatching Quail Eggs
Our Quail Friends

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For us, raising ducks, chickens, and quail for eggs has always been worth the time, energy, and cost involved. What about you? Join the conversation in the comments, we’d love to hear from you.