How do I get my ducks to lay in a nest?

[The Gallus Way]

I have five Peking ducks, one of which is male so four females. They were ducklings this past spring and I've been waiting for them to lay. I have found about a dozen, thought that was all that they were doing. Then this morning-wham! I found a nest with 29 eggs! They were all buried and some were fertilized. (I created a new thread with more info).

Anyway, I just assumed that they were community laying like my chickens do. After reading this thread I am wondering if I am wasting my time giving them a chance to hatch. The thread I created is called "Egg Issues" and is waiting for approval from the moderators as I assume this post will be, (Point being that by the time you see this I believe my original thread will be view-able assuming that I am approved.)

Any thoughts, experiences, are appreciated!

 

[lorilynn1]

Hello, I see I'm replying to a three year old thread. I'm a city slicker gone county and we had our first born on the ranch today! Exciting and stilly as it sounds but it was very exciting to find one of our four female ducks had laid her first egg. She has a chicken coop but of course wants nothing to do with it. I found everyone separated this morning when I called everyone for breakfast. I knew something was going on. I found her in this broken down shed by our house in the corner. She laid it about 8am. She left and never came back so I took the egg. My question is will she return to the same spot to lay more, will her sister wives lay in the same spot? They are all the same age. One peaking, one kiuga, one khaki and a black and white duck. One male mallard. The black and white was the one who laid this morning so I assume everyone else will be following her soon. Thank you all for any replies.

 

[SmallFarmUSA]

Congrats on the first egg, it's always exciting to find! Newly laying ducks can be a sporadic/unpredictable at first, so it's hard to give any definite answers. There is a good chance that she will continue to lay in the same place, especially if you let her collect a few eggs in the nest for a couple days,before taking them out.Your other female ducks will probably find their own spots to lay eggs.

 

[lorilynn1]

Congrats on the first egg, it's always exciting to find! Newly laying ducks can be a sporadic/unpredictable at first, so it's hard to give any definite answers. There is a good chance that she will continue to lay in the same place, especially if you let her collect a few eggs in the nest for a couple days,before taking them out.Your other female ducks will probably find their own spots to lay eggs.

 

[lorilynn1]

Greetings Duck friends.  I'm new to ducks...and only have 6....one Pekin, 1 mallard, 4 runners.  I hatched them last summer so this is their first winter.  To my amazment and thrill, yesterday I discovered 3 eggs!!!!!  The first ones I've ever gotten from them....I just can't tell you how exiciting it was to find those!  (Not really sure why, but just seemed like a prize! ha).  Sadly, because they were in an area that I don't go to every day, they were frozen hard and cracked.  Worse yet, though, they had just been laid right out in the open ground, and not even together, though I do think they were from the same duck.  ANYWAY....here is my question:  what can I do to encourage her (or them) to lay future eggs in a nest of some kind.  You should know that I already built a small box out of plywood that is about 3 ft high, 3 ft long, and 3 ft wide.  It has a roof and has some hay in it.  IT SEEMS PERFECT TO ME!!!!!  But I've never once seen a duck go into it, and even though it is within 30 feet of the eggs I found, she clearly had no interest in using it.  oh...my ducks are basically free range, though there are no woods for them.  They are in a pasture and sometimes get out, but almost anywhere they go is mowed short....no cover.  Thats why I thought they would use the wood box I made for them.  For what its worth, they also have access to a small barn but almost never use it...even when it gets really cold.  Again, I would have thought they would have laid eggs in there perhaps, but no.  Any suggestions?  Where do your ducks lay eggs?  Should I make a different kind of box/next?  I just hate having them plop eggs out on the ground.  Not only because they get wasted, but when spring comes I really want them to hate a place to lay and sit.  OH...I should also tell you that the place they laid all 3 eggs was within a few feet of my pond.  But my box is in the same general area.
Confused!
Kevin

 

[Courtney8]

Hello. I also have ducks and one that lays all over the coop. She has a nesting box with hay but won't lay in it and hardly goes up to it except for food. I have 6 eggs I put in a somewhat made incubator but found 2 more today. I put them in the box but like I said she doesn't go there much. How do I save the eggs and get her to sit on them even with it being late in the season?

Courtney

 

[blueyes3871]

Mine were free range, but when they started laying the dog realized she really liked duck eggs. Since then I put up a fence giving them their separate area. That area includes a 10x12 covered area filled with hay and is where I put their feed. It’s where I assumed they would lay, (by they I mean she. I have 1 pair of Peking ducks) She even circled out a nest in the hay at one point, but sheconsistently lays in the blackberry bushes where it’s cold and muddy. I just recently put up a divider to block them from that area and put her eggs from the blackberries into the nest in the hay. Rather than laying in the new spot she has just quit laying all together. Any suggestions?

 

[Sundevill11]

These work for us.