First time duck owner

[season1223]

You have a very lovely Pekin. They are great layers! Rarely go broody but I have a Pekin hen that does too.

Thanks! I thought that might be what she was! Shes friendly but cautious at the same time! She will definitely let me know if there is any danger in the area but she knows i come running to the rescue so she trusts me pretty well! I love how much of a clean freak she is! She bathes several times a day! She gets totally filthy then into the water to clean up! Lol!

 

[Amiga]

Welcome to BYC! I hope she is kept safe from predators - that is a big worry of mine.

She is SO BEAUTIFUL!!!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Pekin are a little more timid than Muscovy for example. Lots of food treats, slow movements and she will become more of a pet over time.

 

[season1223]

Welcome to BYC! I hope she is kept safe from predators - that is a big worry of mine.

She is SO BEAUTIFUL!!!

Thank u! She free ranges with my chickens during the day but they get put up at night...safe from predators! I have dogs too! One outside and one inside! The dogs have never messed with the duck or my big white chicken but when I first got my bantam chickens they got after them...the duck alerted me immediately and i intervened! We haven't had any problems since! The dogs help keep some of the predators away too!

 

[season1223]

Pekin are a little more timid than Muscovy for example. Lots of food treats, slow movements and she will become more of a pet over time.

Yeah! She's gotten pretty used to me! She follows me around and will come right up to my feet! She tries to keep my chickens from getting too close to me tho! She hates it that my big hen lets me pet her but i think thats why she has learned to trust me! Shes definitely the leader of my flock! I went down to open the coop this morning and all the chickens waited for her to follow me up to the house...she checked everything out then started quacking real loud and they all came out! It was like she was calling to them telling em the coast was clear! Lol!

 

[season1223]

I need to make a box for my fat (CX) chicken for her to lay eggs/maybe sleep in! Can I make the duck one like hers since neither of them fly? Will she use something like that or do ducks need something different?

 

[jducour]

I need to make a box for my fat (CX) chicken for her to lay eggs/maybe sleep in! Can I make the duck one like hers since neither of them fly? Will she use something like that or do ducks need something different?

Ducks don't need a nesting box, they will make a nest every day in their bedding and lay there. My girls make a nest in their pine shavings every night before they go to bed, and when I get them out in the morning the nest is full of eggs. Funny thing though - there is always one egg pushed out of the nest. I don't know who it belongs to, but apparently they don't want her eggs to touch theirs.

 

[Lynn Manes]

Picture posting woes. I thought it didn't put and apparently posted the same pic many times. Sorry.

Nice looking birds. Welcome

 

[season1223]

Ducks don't need a nesting box, they will make a nest every day in their bedding and lay there.  My girls make a nest in their pine shavings every night before they go to bed, and when I get them out in the morning the nest is full of eggs.  Funny thing though - there is always one egg pushed out of the nest.  I don't know who it belongs to, but apparently they don't want her eggs to touch theirs. 

Good to know! My duck isn't nesting! Shes sleeping on the ground next to my big hen and laying an egg on the ground every night right there where she sleeps! Im going to build a platform type box (with a ramp) just a little bit off the ground to hold their bedding to try to get my chicken off the ground...maybe ill get lucky and they will both use it! They like to cuddle up together at night even tho theyre both females and totally different kinds if birds! Theyre silly that way! Lol! They've been that way since they were babies!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I need to make a box for my fat (CX) chicken for her to lay eggs/maybe sleep in! Can I make the duck one like hers since neither of them fly? Will she use something like that or do ducks need something different?

My pekin randomly lay where ever the egg drops lol. I have noticed they will pile eggs into a goose nest tho, so its worth a shot. put some golf balls or fake eggs in there.