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Ducks
How BIG is a Duck Egg in Inches? (VS Chicken)
How big is a duck egg in inches and weight compared to chicken eggs?
Duck eggs are significantly bigger than chicken eggs. While they come in a wide range of sizes, duck eggs generally weigh between 70 and 90 grams and can be as long as 2.5 inches and over 1 inch in diameter.
Continue reading for more information on the size, nutrition, and uses of duck eggs.
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Size of Duck Egg
By Duck Breed
Some duck breeds lay differently sized eggs.
For example, Khaki Campbell ducks usually lay larger eggs than Indian Runner ducks. The shells of the latter’s eggs are much thicker and sometimes a beautiful green color.
Saxony ducks generally lay smaller eggs, while the egg sizes of Pekin and Indian Runner duck breeds are considered to be quite large.
Here’s a list of duck breeds in order from smallest to largest egg size:
- Saxony
- Khaki Campbell
- Indian Runner
- Pekin
- Muscovy Ducks
Although Muscovy ducks lay the largest eggs of any kind, they only do so half as often as other breeds.
Read More: How Many Eggs Do Ducks Lay Per Year? Here’s how many eggs different duck species can lay per year and each day!
By Duck Size
A duck’s egg is smaller when she first begins laying. As the duck matures, its early eggs may develop curious shapes and sizes.
Ducks usually lay eggs that weigh 50-70 grams during their first month of laying.
However, once the duck is fully grown, it will lay an egg weighing 70-90 grams.
You can sometimes stumble upon giant eggs that can weigh up to 120 grams. That’s a big egg!
Read More: Best Duck Egg Incubator. Planning to raise ducks? We put the best duck egg incubators to the test!
Duck Eggs vs Chicken Eggs
Duck eggs are usually about 30% larger than chicken eggs. They also have a thicker shell and more protein in the white.
In addition, duck eggs usually have a more colorful shell than chicken eggs.
Finally, duck eggs generally have a richer flavor and nutritional profile than chicken Eggs.
Let’s take a closer look at the main distinctions between duck and chicken eggs:
Read More: Geese vs Ducks. How do you tell the difference between geese and ducks? Here’s what to know!
Nutrition of Duck Eggs
Duck eggs are much bigger than chicken eggs because they contain more fat, cholesterol, protein, and calories.
A duck egg is considerably larger than a chicken egg, weighing about 2.5 ounces on average compared to an average of 1.8 ounces for chicken eggs.
In other words, a duck egg is almost twice the size of a chicken egg. The yolk of a duck egg is also twice as big as the white.
Keep in mind that the only fat and cholesterol in an egg are found in the yolk, which is why a duck egg contains almost twice as much fat (9.6 grams) as a chicken egg (5 grams).
If you’re concerned about your cholesterol, keep in mind that one duck egg has 660 milligrams, which is more than twice the amount advised for healthy adults compared to 285 milligrams in a chicken egg.
That said, Duck eggs contain more omega-3 fatty acids than chicken eggs.
Although duck eggs have 130 calories, while chicken eggs only have 80, the extra protein found in duck eggs is worth it, containing 9 grams as opposed to chicken’s 7 grams.
Read our related article on Everything You Need to Know About Chicken Eggs. This guide lays out how eggs are fertilized, incubated, eaten, and more interesting facts!
The Appearance of a Duck Egg
The palette of colors for duck eggshells is more vast than for chicken eggs. The color of the shell does not affect the egg’s taste or nutritional content.
Duck eggshells can vary in color and include:
- White
- Grey
- Light green
- Brown
- Speckled
Chicken eggs are generally white or brown, though they do sometimes come in shades of pink, green, and blue.
Duck eggs have notably tougher shells when compared to chicken eggs.
To prevent pieces of shell from ending up in the egg itself, crack it on a flat surface instead of an edge.
When you crack open the egg, you’ll notice that the yolk is almost twice as big, and the white is exceptionally transparent.
Most people are unaware of the yellowish tint of chicken egg whites until they compare them to a duck egg’s crystal clarity.
Read our related article, Chicken Egg vs Duck Egg Taste, for more differences between duck and chicken eggs!
Cooking & Baking With Duck Eggs
Duck eggs can be cooked the same as chicken eggs, including frying, poaching, scrambling, and hard-boiling.
If boiling, you’ll need an extra minute or two for the yolk to become hard.
Frying duck eggs will also take a little more time. You’ll also need to reduce the temperature slightly to prevent the burning of the egg white.
Making omelets with duck eggs is another popular way to prepare them, and they’re delicious when paired with sausage, bacon, chives, tomatoes, and more.
The taste and smell of a duck’s eggs can differ depending on its diet and environment, with some being wild-tasting and gamey.
Because of the larger yolk, when you scramble duck eggs, they will have a creamier texture than your average scrambled egg.
Here’s a video that shows you how to make the perfect duck egg omelet:
Read More: How to Pick Up a Pet Duck. Keep your duck safe, comfortable, and stress-free by picking it up the right way!
Duck Eggs in Baking
It can be more difficult to bake with duck eggs than with chicken eggs since duck eggs are larger and have a greater fat content.
A ratio of 2 duck eggs for 3 chicken eggs should give you the results you’d normally see when baking with chicken eggs.
Traditional Duck Egg Recipes
You’ll often see duck eggs used in French or Asian cooking.
For example, poached and fried duck eggs are staples in France, and they pair up fantastically with other dishes like asparagus, ham, potatoes, and salmon.
In China, some duck eggs are preserved for a few months by being encased in an alkaline clay mixture, and these are called “thousand-year eggs” or “century eggs.”
Read More: How Long Do Ducks Live? The lifespan of a duck can vary depending on where they live and its species. Learn more!
Conclusion
Duck eggs can be 2.5 inches long, over an inch in diameter, and weigh 70 and 90 grams on average.
This is quite a bit bigger than chicken eggs, and they pack a significant nutritional punch when you eat them!
