Quote:Some of my Muscovy hens will pinch me pretty good when I try to take the eggs, Others don't try at all.
I get an evil eye now and then when they see me steal their eggs, but I tell them it is payment for feeding/housing and building them a pond. For the most part, they don't even notice. But if they get ticked off with me for stealing them, they go build a nest in the woods and lay them there until I find that nest or the dogs do, then the make another one. The thin section of woods on the side yard is full of little duck nests
My Mallard bites and scratches for all she's worth when she goes broody in the spring, otherwise, she's fine.
One of my rouen hens went broody and did get quite protective of her nest (hissing, nipping, fluffing up her feathers). We left her to brood and she hatched out 6 ducklings! She rejected one that hatched late so we are brooding him in the house.
Mine don't cause they are out of the coop when I get the eggs, but if I get them before I let them out they still don't care. My duck that's laying now lays her eggs in the early morning.
If they are not feeling broody ducks won't care. They tend to drop their eggs wherever they happen to be at the time and then walk off and leave them. Some breeds of ducks don't go broody and they lay a lot of eggs. If you are hoping to get duck eggs, those are the breeds to think about getting. Yes, geese will defend their nest. Both the ganders and the geese. It's a little harder to take their eggs.
My neighbors ducks will charge anyone who gets near the eggs and if one of the girls are sitting on the eggs and you try to take them, they sure put up a fight kicking and screaming!
