I got to thinking about when my ducks start laying eggs etc.....do they need a nesting box like chickens do??? or will they just make one out of bedding in the "duck house"???
I'd REALLY like to have babies running around next spring.....my mom said she had ducks for 3 years when I was little - and never had any babies...let alone eggs! My hope is that I'll have much better luck.....but I'm guessing I'll have to be a little more prepared.
Let me know what you think!
Thanks so much!
Jean
Do I need a nesting box for a duck??
My ducks always find some really odd spot to build a nest. The first year I thought my aconna was missing, untill I spotted her coming out of the pile of brush we were going to burn. We got 11 babies out of that nest. The next year one nest was in the blackberry bushes and the other was under the gooseberry bush. (it took me weeks to find that one) We got 13 out of the gooseberry nest. Then there was one next to the fawn pen, up by the house. I think there were 8 from that. This year she nested right next to her shelter house, but not in it. (we had a skunk visit and only got 6 this year). I build a winter shelter out of straw bales and only will keep the aconna and rouen and the pekin drake. Who knows where they will nest next?
Usually the nest is just a depression in the ground. Once there was some grass tucked in, the last one was wood chips. It would be nice if they used nest boxes, but I think they like the ground.
So....when your ducks make a nest outside.....how do you ensure the safety of the eggs? I guess I am just not seeing the big picture. My ducks free-range all day - and are locked up in the duck-house at night. If there's a nest out there......I'm assuming we would either be missing a duck for a month.....or we wouldn't get any babies........
hmmmm......so what would you do in my situation?? lock 'em up until someone's "nesting"?? lol
If you have a big enough pen, that would probably work. We've only had two incidences with preaditors and the ducks. One was the fox and she took all the eggs one night from the aconna and took the other duck the next night. (We took care of the fox). The other was the fat skunk and once we blocked up his hole in the fence, we never had a problem with him. (much to my dogs dissapointment)
We have a really big fenced in yard, so my ducks roam all over. How do you get your ducks in their house at night? I raised mine with a house, but as soon as the fence was gone around it, they would never go in again unless the snow was really bad.
I start looking for nests as soon as I notice one of my ducks isn't with the others. They won't sit them till the nest is full so it's hard to tell untill they go to ground.
funny enough - they follow me to the duck house every night! as soon as they see me out there - they come around me and follow me through the yard! lol
sometimes if I'm running late, though, they're already in the duck house waiting for me.....
Mine only come running if I have the fod pan or am opening the gate to the vegatable garden. I like your ducks better.
lol That's so funny!
Yeah - they even stayed around my husband and his buddy as they worked
in the yard today! So....I guess it not "just" me.....but they do follow me wherever
I go. They were waiting in the duck house for me tonight when I got home.....and were
nibbling at my feet when I walked in....I guess that was my payback for not feeding earlier - they decided to try and eat my toes! :)
I guess I've been lucky.......
If I make nests in my duck house - do they need to be raised off of the floor? a certain size? hmmm.....
I think they like to be directly on the floor. Mine have never climbed up on anything unless it's the deck and they have to poop.
oh man! yours seem to make life a little more difficult for you! lol
well - my husband will be THRILLED that he doesn't have to build
anything for me! haha! oh well - I find a different project for him! :)