Duck Questions

I know there are some duck people here and i have a few questions i need answering I have 4 Cayugas 1 Drake and 3 Hens.
This is my first time having Ducks and i'm really enjoying having them i have learned how to feed and care for them but now they are adults i have more questions.

#1 They are free range 24/7 will not go in a shelter at all and they have begun to mate how do i get the hens to use a nest?
I'm afraid they may hide it and my dog will eat the eggs or something else will get them.
#2 Can you move a setting Duck like a chicken?
#3 Can i get a different breed and have them free ranging with my Cayuga's with no fighting or mixing?

probably Runner Ducks

Runner Ducks?

We have ducks too but only one adult and it is a he. the other 4 are still quite young so your questions are something I'd like to know too.
Our male duck is over a year old. He does free range sometimes but he also has his pen with a pool and he has a little duck house. He first didn't go in it but now he does. It is right on the edge of his pool. I'll post a picture but I need to take one first :)
Do your ducks (who are beautiful by the way) have a pond or pool they get into? Maybe if you put a little house near the water they will use that to lay eggs in. This one place we stayed for vacation one time had ducks on the pond and they had a little house near the waters edge for them.

Smedgekles What a great idea thanks they do have a kiddie pool and i have some of those dog gloo houses.
I bet if i put one of those near their pool they would go in it.

Thanks for the compliment i love my ducks and i chose Cayugas cause my favorite color is Green.
They are getting their adult feathering a little more each day with that lovely Green sheen it is soooooo Pretty!

Hey, I like green too! Hope the house works for you. It may take a while, as it did with our male, for them to figure out it is there for them. We put hay in our ducks house for bedding. We even have a little nest for our little ducks next to their little pond. They do go into it. They are all suppose to be females so hopefully one day we will get duck eggs.
Still haven't taken that picture.....

Smedge I'm waiting on my duck eggs too and Cayuga's lay sort of a Green egg LOL

I'm going to try the house and i hope it works i have just been wondering if they are mating where were they going to lay {;~)
Now if i can get a answer to my other 2 questions
Since i have these i was thinking about getting another breed and they would be free range with my Cayuga's but i don't know if they would fight or if they would mix (one drake steal all the hens )

yes Indian Runner Ducks.

I don't know how you can get them in or if you can move the nest. I have read the runner happily graze and go back into their cage. I was going to get some eggs off e-bay and my new incubator went wacko and fried my ringed teals eggs they day before they hatched. I had gotten eggs from from another person for a new blood line so mine babies don't interbreed. All were fully formed grrrr

I use coke crates for nest boxes with some hay in their.When i first got my mallards she layed a egg on the ground,so i put it in the nest box.Then she went over their and checked it out and she has been laying their ever since.

I'm not sure about you moving the nest.My are in a pen i don't let my ducks rome.If you don't have them in a pen you may want to keep the nest where ever they lay so they know to go back their.

I would not mix ducks together.I have Mallards,Cayugas,2 runners,Black Swedish,Rouens,Khaki Campbells,Aconas and Magpies.They will fight and cross breed so you don't won't them together.

Cody

They also say that ducks mate better in water.So if you don't have a pond get a kid pool.

Thank you for answering my questions :~)
I have a kiddie pool and thats where they have been mating and i'm going to drag out mt dog gloo and put some straw in there.
Well i was hoping to get some more ducks i just love the ones i have but i don't want any fighting or mixing.

Thank Yall {:~)

My ducks have one of thoes plastic kids play houses that look like a log cabin. They only use it in the worst of the winter weather. One of the ducks actually uses it to lay her first nest of the year. The other duck hides her nest and sometimes I don't find it till they are just about to hatch.

Here is a older picture of my Cayugas,runners,Khaki Campbells and Black Swedish ducks.This was taken back in may.

I forgot to say, ducks are not picky. If not seperated they will mix. I've even had a sneaky mallard slip into the yard and smooth talk my pekin. Two drakes will fight during mating season. The rest of the year they will tolerate each other.

You are very welcome.

Here is a hint.My Mallard Drake tried to mate my Rouen hen.That is why you never mix.

This is a picture of my Rouen Drake.

mine have never tried to interbreed, maybe it is because they are so specifically different and from different parts of the world. I have had my Mandy drake try to breed the young Mandy drakes lol but never any of the other ducks. I know similar species like Widgeons will. American and Chiloe Widgeon will mix, a Mallard will breed anything it can get a hold on to

Please everyone show all the pics you want i'm really enjoying them :~)

LOL!!!!!Donna,you are right,my Drake Mallard name is DD stands for Dumb Duck.

By the way these are my babies that i hatched out of the incubator except the Pekin duck.

a mallard duck,2 pilgrim geese male and female,a acona duck and a the pekin duck.


The female pilgrim is the one with the dark gray on her back.She was born with a crooked neck,so she can't hold her hand up all the way.She was too big for her egg and hatched out late.

Thanks for the pics Rose Girl :~)

You are very welcome Harmonyplace.

Harmony you can see all my pics here
http://pets.webshots.com/album/562207564unUUlW

OMG! Donna Thank You for the link you have Beautiful Ducks!!! I want one of each LOL