Ducks usually begin laying eggs at about 6-7 months of age. However, the age can vary depending on the breed and the season. Smaller breeds, such as bantams and Runners, will lay earlier, often around 4 months, and heavier breeds such as Pekins and Muscovies will lay later. Pekins start laying eggs when they are about 26–28 weeks of age and can be kept economically for about 40 weeks of production, when they will have laid about 160 eggs. English breeds normally maintain more than 50% production for about 5 months. Ducks should be laying at a rate of about 90% within 5 weeks of the onset of laying. Most ducks lay their eggs during the night or early morning, and eggs must be gathered first thing to prevent them from becoming dirty and to keep breakages to a minimum.