Broody duck - move nest or add onto it????

[wheresbigfoot]

Ace has decided to go broody and make a nest under the chicken coop.. even though she's got a nest box already so .. I know moving the nest can cause stress but there's no protection either. She's got a roof and fence on one side but that wont stop the rest from going under ?!

Should I make a wall of some sort ? Add something else protection wise?

Or just leave her be.. the nest is just a hole she dug in the dirt with some feathers and foil? No clue where she got that but they're free range.. foil can't be a good nest material

How do I do this without freaking her out?
Oh and she's got a nice size clutch happening already, I have a feeling she's got too many .. this should be fun

She's using my camping dishes for now.. when I move or add to it I'll get her something else

 

[chickens really]

Ace has decided to go broody and make a nest under the chicken coop.. even though she's got a nest box already so .. I know moving the nest can cause stress but there's no protection either. She's got a roof and fence on one side but that wont stop the rest from going under ?!

Should I make a wall of some sort ? Add something else protection wise?

Or just leave her be.. the nest is just a hole she dug in the dirt with some feathers and foil? No clue where she got that but they're free range.. foil can't be a good nest material

How do I do this without freaking her out?
Oh and she's got a nice size clutch happening already, I have a feeling she's got too many .. this should be fun

She's using my camping dishes for now.. when I move or add to it I'll get her something else
View attachment 1705374

Toss some straw to her. If she wants she will use it to line her nest..

 

[chickens really]

You can always move her once they begin to hatch. Just put up a safe barrier before they hatch so others can't kill them.

 

[wheresbigfoot]

You can always move her once they begin to hatch. Just put up a safe barrier before they hatch so others can't kill them.

I've been looking around to see what I got. I really don't want to stress her out and move but definitely need something to block the others

 

[wheresbigfoot]

I'll do anything to not move her nest

I've got some idea's..even if it's not awesome I don't care as long as she's not a basket case cause she got moved haha

 

[Miss Lydia]

Maybe build some kind of fencing under there to protect her and keep them others out. Once hatch day gets close mine rarely put up a fight when I move them to the little coop I use for hatching, But by then hatch is started so they aren't about to leave those eggs.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Make a way to open what ever you put up like a gate of sorts that way when she wants out usually only one time a day you can let her out that way she can poop away from the nest it will take more work on your part to let her out but she’ll have a way out and still be safe.

 

[wheresbigfoot]

I was thinking of just adding one wall/ barrier so she would be blocked on 3 sides and the top. That would leave one side open for her to come and go when she needs to . With it being under the coop it would be difficult for hens/drakes to get in there and I'm assuming she'd let them know they can't have her nest . Should I close it all and just let her out once/twice a day?

 

[wheresbigfoot]

Right candle any eggs you remove so you only have eggs that look at the same stage of development. But I think that is what you said you were going to do. Right?

Yes I was thinking if I candeled I could make sure they look fertile and at the same stage. She's only been laying a few days.. at least under a week... I think I only noticed her just a day before my orginal post. I just wantto make sure I don't take fertile growing ones and leave her with duds. But if she's only been laying this short time, would I be able to tell? Maybe I should wait a little bit longer to make it more noticeable?

 

[chickens really]

Duck eggs I wait till day 10 ...