11 Best Ducks for Eggs for Your Homestead
If you want to add ducks to your backyard homestead, make sure you pick the best ducks for eggs. You want plenty of yummy duck eggs!
Ducks, like chickens, don’t lay the same amount of eggs. If your goal is to raise ducks for eggs, you’ll want to select the best ducks for eggs to keep your family fed.
Duck eggs are delicious; my husband says they’re far better than chicken eggs, and I have to agree. The yolks are richer and creamier – scrambled eggs made with duck eggs is one of my favorite breakfasts of all time.
Delicious!
Some people assume that ducks aren’t superior layers because everyone raises chickens for eggs, but the truth is waterfowl keep up with chickens when it comes to egg productions. Some duck breeds lay over 300 eggs per year!
So, if you want as many duck eggs as possible, here are the best egg laying ducks for your homestead.
11 Best Ducks for Eggs
Ducks, in general, are prolific layers. Truthfully, any breed that you get will produce tons of eggs for your family, but here are a few duck breeds known for laying the most eggs.
1. Ancona
✅Eggs Laid Each Year: 210-280 eggs
✅Average Weight: 6-6.5 Pounds
Ancona ducks originate from England, and they’re known for being calm and excellent with children. They adapt well to many different climates, so they’re an excellent backyard duck breed.
Anconas are medium-sized ducks that weigh around six pounds each. They love to forage, and they lay between 210-280 eggs per year. Their eggs are white, cream, blue, or green colored.
The Livestock Conservancy lists the Ancona ducks as a critically endangered duck breed. If you have a decent yard and pond space, consider adding these to your duck flock.
2. Buffs
✅ Eggs Laid Each Year: 150-220 eggs
✅ Average Weight: 6-7 Pounds
Here is another duck breed well-known for being an awesome duck breed for kids. They’re gentle and calm, originating in England as a dual-purpose duck breed.
Buffs adapt well to hot and cold climates, so they’re raised all over the world. These ducks are good foragers and lay between 150-220 eggs each year. Their eggs are white and cream-colored.
I swear; there is something about buff animals because buff orpington are one of the best broody hen breeds and cold-climate chickens.
3. Campbells
✅Eggs Laid Each Year: 250-340
✅ Average Weight: 4-4.5 Pounds
Most people refer to these ducks as Khaki Campbells because they have tan plumage. They originated in England and are known for being an active breed that wanders around your backyard.
If you’ve never raised ducks before, Campbells is an excellent option for newbies and young kids. These ducks are more ideal for egg-laying than meat because they’re a smaller size. Since they average around four pounds, these ducks aren’t ideal to raise for duck meat.
Khaki Campbells shine as excellent foraging ducks, leading to a flavorful delicious yolk. They lay considerably more eggs than other breeds, averaging between 250-340 large eggs.
You do want to be careful where you get your Campbells. Crossbreeds are often sold as Campbells, but they arent, and they won’t lay as many eggs.
4. Cayuga
✅Eggs Laid Each Year: 100-150 eggs
✅Average Weight: 7-8 Pounds
Cayuga ducks are famous because they lay charcoal to black-colored eggs. Some assume that their eggs are black, but in truth, they lay eggs in various shades of grey. However, this is the only breed that produces that color, so they’re quite beloved.
Not only do they lay lovely eggs, but they’re gorgeous ducks. Their origination is a mystery; some say they started in the United States but others say they started in the UK. However, the Livestock Conservancy has these on their watch list.
What we do know is that Cayuga ducks are large, typically between seven to eight pounds, making them excellent dual-purpose ducks. Cayugas are excellent with young kids, known for being docile and friendly. They’re laid back, perfect for families.
These ducks lay around 100-150 eggs per year. This is less than other duck breeds, but people want those dark-colored eggs unique to this breed!
5. Magpie
✅Eggs Laid Each Year: 240-290 eggs
✅Average Weight: 5.5-6 Pounds
Magpie ducks are adorable, quiet, and docile with lovely personalities that originated in Wales as a dual-purpose duck breed. While they are technically a dual-purpose duck breed, they only weigh as much as six pounds. Some breeds get considerably larger.
Magpie ducks are adorable. They’re typically black and white, but you also might find them in a blue and white color variety.
Magpie ducks are excellent foragers who lay eggs with incredible flavor. They handle different climates as well, so almost anyone can raise these awesome backyard ducks. Some say that Magpies are quieter than other duck breeds, so if you have close neighbors, these are an excellent option.
Expect your Magpies to lay between 240-290 eggs each year. Their eggs range in color from white to cream, green, and blue.
6. Muscovy
✅Eggs Laid Each Year: 180-200 eggs
✅Average Weight: 9-13 Pounds
You might recognize Muscovy ducks as the “masked” ducks that originate from Honduras and Nicaragua. Muscovy ducks are an excellent duck breed to raise, especially if you want a large dual-purpose duck breed.
Large is an understatement for Muscovy ducks.
They large extra-large to jumbo-sized white eggs and weigh between nine and 13 pounds – yes, seriously.
Muscovy ducks are known for loving to forage and tolerating all sorts of climate changes. These are calm, friendly ducks, but there is one big problem when raising muscovy ducks – they know how to fly. Unlike other backyard ducks, muscovy ducks can actually fly, so I don’t suggest these as ducks for beginners, and they’ll need their wings clipped to keep them from flying away.
7. Pekin
✅Eggs Laid Each Year: 200 eggs
✅Average Weight: 7-9 Pounds
Pekin ducks are originated in China over 2,000 years old, making them one of the oldest duck breeds on record. That means they’re one of the most popular and trusted breeds you can raise on your homestead.
Pekin ducks are a dual-purpose breed that weighs between seven and nine pounds. They’re known for having a calm disposition and dealing with children well. That’s always important!
Expect your Pekin ducks to lay up to 200 eggs yearly; they’re large to extra-large white eggs.
8. Runner Ducks
✅Eggs Laid Each Year: 300 eggs
✅Average Weight: 4-4.5 Pounds
Runner ducks are one of the oldest duck breeds; sometimes, they’re called Indian Runners, and they’re a highly productive laying ducks. The American Poultry Association classifies them as “lightweight” ducks and excellent egg producers.
These wouldn’t make great dual-purpose ducks because they only weigh around four pounds. That’s definitely not enough meat for your family. However, their docile, chill temperament makes them excellent for new duck keepers!
Runners are excellent foragers. We know that they were historically used in Chinese rice patties to eat snails, insects, and other small reptiles. If you raise runner ducks, expect them to forage many of their own duck treats.
Runner ducks are best kept for egg production, laying white to blue-green eggs. They lay around 300 eggs.
9. Saxony
✅Eggs laid Each Year: 190-240 eggs
✅Average Weight: 8-9 Pounds
Saxony ducks originated in Germany, no surprise there, and they’re considered a dual-purpose duck breed that weighs between 8-9 pounds.
Something different about Saxony ducks is that they grow much slower than other breeds, but they’re excellent foragers if you plan to free-range your ducks. They’re docile, gentle, and perfect for homesteaders with kids.
Saxony ducks lay extra-late white, blue, and green eggs, with an average amount between 19-240 eggs each year.
10. Silver Appleyard
✅Eggs Laid Each Year: 220-265 eggs
✅Average Weight: 8-9 Pounds
We have Silver Appleyard ducks; these are fantastic ducks everyone needs on their homestead! They originated in England and are a docile, fun duck that tops the scales at nine pounds.
That means these are dual-purpose birds. Trust me, they’re pretty hefty and thick!
Silver Appleyard ducks lay between 220-265 extra-large white eggs each year. You’ll love how well they fit into your homestead flock; we raise these ducks with our chickens and have no problems at all. They also adapt to different temperature ranges.
11. Welsh Harlequin
✅Eggs Laid Each Year: 240-300 eggs
✅Average Weight: 5-5.5 Pounds
We raised Welsh Harlequin ducks before, and I have to tell you that they’re excellent backyard ducks. They’re listed as critically endangered by The Livestock Conservancy, so if you’re able to raise them, you should!
Technically, Welsh Harlequin ducks are dual purpose, but since they typically stay in the five pound range, I would suggest going for a large duck breed if you want to raise ducks for meat.
These ducks originate from Wales and produce up to 300 white eggs each year. They’re a practical choice for homesteaders; Welsh Harlequin ducks are a heritage duck breed and a dual-purpose duck that love to go broody. So, if you want to raise ducklings with a broody mama, these ducks are excellent.
How to Pick the Best Duck Breed for Eggs
If you’re raising ducks for eggs, you want to pick the right breeds for your homestead. I know I have the hardest time deciding what breeds to read, which is why I end up with way too many chickens and ducks.
Here are some considerations you might want to think about when picking duck breeds for eggs.
1. Egg Color
First, think about if egg color matters to you. I personally love to add all sorts of colors to my egg basket; it’s a goal of mine to have a rainbow egg basket.
So, you might want a mixture of duck breeds that will lay different colored eggs. Consider the size as well; some ducks lay much larger eggs than other breeds.
2. Personality and Disposition
The personality and disposition of your ducks matter, especially if you have children who plan to handle the ducks. You’ll want docile, calm birds that don’t mind being around people.
3. Number of Eggs Laid Yearly
Of course, you also want to consider how many eggs the duck breeds lay and how many ducks you want. It can give you an idea of how many eggs you’ll receive each year to decide if it’s enough for your family.
FAQs about Duck Eggs
What Duck Lays the Most Eggs in a Year?
The two duck breeds that lay the most eggs are the Campbells and Pekins. So, if egg production is the most important quality for you, these duck breeds are for you!
What Month Do Ducks Start Laying Eggs?
Ducks typically start to lay eggs between five to six months old and continue to lay eggs for several years. Surprisingly, with proper care duck live to be up to 12 years old!
Which Ducks Lay the Largest Eggs?
The duck breed that lays the largest eggs is the Pekin ducks. These are some of the biggest eggs that any waterfowl lays, and the yolks are large and delicious!
What Ducks Lay Green Eggs?
Several duck breeds lay green eggs, such as Runners, Mallards, Magpies, and Anconas. These eggs are a pale green color closer to white than dark green, but they sure look lovely in an egg basket.
A lot of ducks lay green or green-tinted eggs because all domestic ducks descended from Mallards, which lay green eggs. Since duck eggs aren’t colored standard across breeds, it’s possible that ducks from the same clutch will lay different shades of eggs.
What Breed of Duck Lays Blue Eggs?
If your goal is to end up with blue duck eggs, the breeds that commonly lay blue eggs include Ancona, Magpie, Mallard, and Runners.
If you want to add ducks to your backyard homestead and end up with tons of eggs, these are the 11 best ducks for eggs. Make sure to raise a few of these in your flock.
