Ducks laying eggs in their water.?

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WAmicrofarmer

WAmicrofarmer

In the Brooder
Feb 11, 2016
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Hello we have a mated pair Australian spotted Ducks that are almost a year old and just starting to breed and lay eggs. They have their own house with a laying box built into the side of the house. They also have a small 4 foot kiddy pool inside of their house, I believe they are sleeping in the pool. The ground in their house is dirt, but it is covered with fresh straw.

So, here's what's been going on. The last two days I have finally found eggs, but she is laying them in the Kiddy pool instead of her laying box. Is it a mistake for me to have a pool where they are sleeping or is she just new to laying and just confused. She has built a nest inside of the laying box which is completely enclosed except for the opening(if that makes since) I am planning on taking the pool out of their house today but they have always had a pool, will this stress her out and she'll stop laying? They have other pools to use during the day when they are let out of their pen and she doesn't lay eggs in them, just the one in their night house. I am going to install a couple trail cameras inside of their house today.

Any advise would be much appreciated...
 
WAmicrofarmer said:
Hello we have a mated pair Australian spotted Ducks that are almost a year old and just starting to breed and lay eggs. They have their own house with a laying box built into the side of the house. They also have a small 4 foot kiddy pool inside of their house, I believe they are sleeping in the pool. The ground in their house is dirt, but it is covered with fresh straw.

So, here's what's been going on. The last two days I have finally found eggs, but she is laying them in the Kiddy pool instead of her laying box. Is it a mistake for me to have a pool where they are sleeping or is she just new to laying and just confused. She has built a nest inside of the laying box which is completely enclosed except for the opening(if that makes since) I am planning on taking the pool out of their house today but they have always had a pool, will this stress her out and she'll stop laying? They have other pools to use during the day when they are let out of their pen and she doesn't lay eggs in them, just the one in their night house. I am going to install a couple trail cameras inside of their house today.

Any advise would be much appreciated...
Click to expand...

Some ducks just aren't concerned about where they lay. I have a Pekin and 2 Rouen girls. Both breeds aren't typically all that interested in becoming moms. They lay eggs in their pools at least once a week.

They will likely protest any change you make. Ducks aren't fond of change, but they quickly adapt. Mine are shut in a coop overnight so they don't have access to their pools until morning. I don't think it will cause them stress if you just remove the pool that's in their night house.
 
Thanks for the info Debs Flock, I did remove their pool from their house and just placed a water pan for drinking. Guess we'll see how things work out. Maybe I shouldn't worry too much and just let them be.

I placed the egg I found this morning in the pool into the nest she has already made. Hope this will entice her into laying them there.
 
WAmicrofarmer said:
Thanks for the info Debs Flock, I did remove their pool from their house and just placed a water pan for drinking. Guess we'll see how things work out. Maybe I shouldn't worry too much and just let them be.

I placed the egg I found this morning in the pool into the nest she has already made. Hope this will entice her into laying them there.
Click to expand...

Happy to help & welcome to BYC!
 
Thanks...

That's exactly what I'm trying to do tonight with one egg, she has only laid two eggs that I know about and one broke when I plucked it from their pool. I'll post more info in the next few days when I see what happens.
 
Update:
Well I removed their little pond from their house the other night, not only did they refuse to enter their house, she stopped laying for two days. I was afraid to allow them to stay outside at night without protection from predators (we've lost two ducks from Owls) I decided to give them back their "house pool". Only then did they return to their house at night, but when I went out to check on them this morning she had laid another egg... in the pool. I took this egg and placed it in the incubator this evening. I'll have to check on it in a few days but I don't think it will be a good egg.

Has anyone ever hatched an egg that has been laid in water.? I'm hoping since she is a young duck she'll out grow laying eggs in the water, I did try placing the other two eggs in her nest box hoping she would lay there, but not a chance.
 

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