When can babies eat duck eggs?

From around 6 months, once your baby is ready for solids, served in a safe shape and texture for their age.

Duck eggs

Bigger eggs with the same allergen as hens' eggs. Always cooked until firm.

Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review

Quick answer

Babies can eat duck eggs from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.

From 6 monthsLow choking risk as servedAllergen: Egg

How to serve duck eggs by age

6 months+

Mashed egg or omelet strips

Hard-boil a duck egg until the white and yolk are firm, peel it, and mash it with breast milk or formula. Or whisk the egg and cook a thin omelet until firm, then cut it into finger-length strips. Duck eggs are bigger than hens' eggs, so our suggestion is to give them a few extra minutes and check the yolk.

Size: Mashed on a pre-loaded spoon, or omelet strips about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in).
Check before serving: Cut the boiled egg in half: the yolk should be firm all the way through, with no runny center. Omelet strips should have no wet egg left and should squash easily between your thumb and finger.

US and UK advice differ here. The AAP suggests mashed food or soft pieces no larger than ½ inch; the NHS suggests soft finger-sized pieces your baby can hold in their fist. Both agree the food must squash easily.

Always have your child sit upright in a high chair or at the table, and stay with them the whole time they eat. Keep to the size and texture for their stage. Every baby develops on their own timeline.

How to prepare duck eggs

1
Put the duck egg into a pan of simmering water and cook until the white and yolk are firm. It's larger than a hen's egg, so our suggestion is to give it a few extra minutes, then cut it open to check the yolk before serving.
2
Cool it in cold water and peel it. Wash your hands, and anything the raw egg touched, after handling it.
3
Mash it (6 months) or chop it small (9 months+). Don't add salt.
4
For the very first taste of egg, mash a little hard-boiled egg and stir about a quarter of a teaspoon into a food your baby already eats (ASCIA). If your baby already eats hens' eggs, start duck eggs the same careful way, since they can still cause a reaction (ACAAI).
5
First time? Pick a day your baby is well, at home, when you can watch them for a couple of hours afterward.

How much to offer

For the very first taste, offer a small amount, such as a quarter of a teaspoon of mashed hard-boiled egg mixed into a food your baby already eats (ASCIA). If there's no reaction, offer more next time. A duck egg is bigger than a hen's egg (about 70 g in FoodData Central), so one egg can make several baby portions. After that, keep egg in your baby's diet regularly; duck eggs can be one of the ways you offer it. Your baby decides how much to eat.

Common mistakes

Serving soft-boiled or runny duck eggs

In the US, cook every egg until the white and yolk are firm (CDC, USDA FSIS). In the UK, the NHS says duck, goose and quail eggs should be cooked until both the white and yolk are solid: the British Lion mark covers hens' eggs only. The Food Standards Agency says eggs from birds other than chickens carry a higher risk of Salmonella.

Cooking it like a hen's egg

A duck egg is bigger than a hen's egg (about 70 g in FoodData Central), so a hen's-egg timing can leave the yolk soft. Our suggestion is to give it a few extra minutes. The NHS says duck eggs should be cooked until both the white and yolk are solid, and the Food Standards Agency says eggs from birds other than chickens should always be cooked thoroughly. Cut it open and check that the yolk is firm before serving, and cook dishes made with duck egg until they're steaming hot all the way through.

Thinking it's a different allergen

The ACAAI says people allergic to chickens' eggs may also be allergic to other eggs, including duck. If your baby has reacted to hens' eggs, talk to your pediatrician before offering duck eggs.

Using salted or century duck eggs

Babies shouldn't have salt, and the NHS says to avoid salty foods for them. Skip century eggs, salted duck eggs and other preserved or pickled eggs: they are very salty. Use fresh duck eggs, fully cooked.

Where US and UK guidance differ on duck eggs

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

Cook duck eggs until the white and yolk are firm. Egg dishes such as omelets should reach 160°F (71°C) (CDC). The CDC lists runny eggs as a riskier choice for children under 5, and USDA FSIS says to cook eggs until both the white and yolk are firm.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

The NHS says hens' eggs with the British Lion mark can be served raw or lightly cooked, but duck, goose and quail eggs should be cooked until both the white and yolk are solid. The Food Standards Agency says eggs from birds other than chickens carry a higher risk of Salmonella and should always be cooked thoroughly.

We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.

Questions parents ask

Can duck eggs be a choking hazard for babies?

Well-cooked duck egg is a low choking risk. Avoid serving hard-boiled egg in round slices to young babies. Mash it, or chop it into small pieces instead, and peel off every bit of shell.

Can babies be allergic to duck eggs?

Egg is one of the most common food allergens, and duck eggs count: the ACAAI says people allergic to chickens' eggs may also be allergic to other eggs, such as goose, duck, turkey or quail. Current guidance is to introduce well-cooked egg around 6 months (not before 4 months) and keep offering it regularly; the NHS says delaying hens' egg beyond 6 to 12 months may increase the risk of allergy. Start with a small amount when your baby is well and watch for signs of a reaction. If your baby has severe eczema or another food allergy, talk to your pediatrician about introducing egg promptly, not about putting it off. In the UK, the NHS asks you to talk to your GP or health visitor first if your baby has eczema or a food allergy, or there's a family history of food allergies, eczema, asthma or hay fever. Egg can also trigger FPIES, a delayed reaction. Egg is a less common trigger in most countries, though it's the third most common in Australia: see when to call the doctor.

Are duck eggs healthy for babies?

A source of protein, choline and vitamin B12: FoodData Central lists about 13 g of protein, 263 mg of choline and 5.4 µg of vitamin B12 per 100 g of duck egg. It has some iron (about 3.9 mg per 100 g), but a baby's portion, about a quarter of an egg, gives under 1 mg, so it isn't counted as an iron-rich food. It has about 14 g of fat per 100 g.

Can babies eat duck eggs?

Yes, from around 6 months, as long as the white and yolk are cooked until firm. Duck eggs count as eggs, a common allergen, so offer them the same careful way as hens' eggs, and talk to your pediatrician first if your baby has reacted to any egg.

Can babies have runny duck eggs in the UK?

No. The NHS says babies can have raw or lightly cooked hens' eggs only if they have the British Lion mark. Duck, goose and quail eggs should be cooked until both the white and yolk are solid, and the Food Standards Agency says non-hen eggs carry a higher risk of Salmonella.

Why does Salmonella matter for young children?

The CDC says children under 5 are three times more likely to be hospitalized if they get a Salmonella infection, and it lists runny eggs as a riskier choice for them. Cooking eggs until the white and yolk are firm is the safer choice.

If your baby refuses duck eggs

Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
Try another form: mashed, small chopped pieces, scrambled, or omelet strips.
Eat some yourself at the same meal. Babies copy what they see.
If your baby keeps refusing duck eggs, offer egg another way, such as hens' egg omelet strips or scrambled egg.

Never force or pressure your baby to eat. Some days they'll eat more, some days less, and that's normal.

Buying and storing duck eggs

Keep raw duck eggs in the fridge, away from ready-to-eat food, and use them by the date on the pack.
Cooked egg dishes keep for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. Rice dishes, such as fried rice, are the exception: cool them within 1 hour, keep them in the fridge for no more than 1 day, and reheat them only once. Hard-boiled eggs keep for up to 1 week; refrigerate them within 2 hours of cooking. USDA FSIS says not to freeze hard-cooked eggs.
Omelet strips and egg muffins can be frozen for 2 to 3 months. Reheat only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let them cool before serving.
Throw away any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F / 32°C).

When to talk to your doctor

Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if:

Your baby has severe eczema or another food allergy. Ask about introducing egg promptly, not about putting it off.
Your baby has had any reaction to egg, even a mild one. Stop offering eggs of any kind until you've talked to your pediatrician.
Your baby vomits a few hours after eating duck egg. This can be FPIES, a delayed type of food allergy. Egg is a less common trigger in most countries, though it's the third most common in Australia. If they vomited once or twice and seem alert and like themselves, call your pediatrician or GP. If they vomit again and again, or are pale, floppy, very sleepy or hard to wake, call your emergency number.
You notice mild signs of an allergic reaction after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.
You're worried about how much your baby eats, their growth, or they refuse most solid food for weeks.

Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.

Offered duck eggs?

Add it to your first 100 foods.

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