Can ducks “hold” it until they find the perfect egg laying spot?

[indianaducks]

I have a mixed flock all about 5 months old. Some started laying about 2 weeks ago. Everyone seems happy to lay in various places in the coop in the morning before I let them out for breakfast etc. except my two mallard ladies who apparently are too good for the coop. They prefer to fly out of the pen When I left everyone out of the coop (between 6:15-7:30am). And then usually by 8am the two mallard ladies have hidden themselves in either a wood pile or pile of leaves and laid an egg. One egg. Two ladies that go everywhere together. This is the third day it’s happened and every day is somewhere different. Can they hold the egg until they find a place they are happy? Is that even possible? Or is it just a case of me needing to keep them in the coop longer? Aka if I keep them in the coop longer in the morning will that solve this? Or will every morning be an Easter egg hunt?

 

[KaleIAm]

I could be wrong, but based on my observations I feel like my ducks can "hold it" but that there are limitations to the duration.

My ducks really enjoy straw or hay to make a nests out of. They prefer nests in corners. They also love to lay where there are already eggs. So I throw down a leaf of straw/hay in a corner and fluff it up. Then I put a few dummy eggs in the middle. My ducks like to share a nest and if I give them more than one they'll just roll all the eggs into one. But maybe your ducks would prefer separate nests.

I would probably let your ducks out later until they get the hang of laying in the right spot. They might start to like it and go back inside to lay. Mine do.

 

[Quatie]

Most of mine laid inside at first. But there are some of them that will decide to lay them outside. They tend to have their favorite spots. So I search those every day. The annoying ones for me are buried in the straw with no sign of a nest. I just squished an egg this morning. But they don't necessarily lay early in the morning. I have had some lay an egg later in the day. Especially new layers, they take a bit to get the kinks out.

I do remember reading about someone who said their Muscovy would wait to lay an egg. They keep the coop closed longer and the second they got out they would dart away to lay an egg. They started following them to find out where they were laying.

So it is possible to an extent. But definitely an Easter egg hunt. I had some eggs hidden under straw with an egg on top in plain view. It was like they were trying to trick me. So they can be crafty.

 

[indianaducks]

I could be wrong, but based on my observations I feel like my ducks can "hold it" but that there are limitations to the duration.

My ducks really enjoy straw or hay to make a nests out of. They prefer nests in corners. They also love to lay where there are already eggs. So I throw down a leaf of straw/hay in a corner and fluff it up. Then I put a few dummy eggs in the middle. My ducks like to share a nest and if I give them more than one they'll just roll all the eggs into one. But maybe your ducks would prefer separate nests.

I would probably let your ducks out later until they get the hang of laying in the right spot. They might start to like it and go back inside to lay. Mine do.

Thanks, I'm glad I'm not crazy then! Figures today I let them out later, and set up a go pro to see where they wandered off to (if they did). Apparently today was not a laying day for them... little brats. LOL. <3

 

[N Good]

Yeah, I would agree with @KaleIAm , they can hold it but within certain limits (up to 3 hours or so, I'd say).
Also, since they lay and poop from the same hole and when broody they can go a day without pooping and then get off the nest and let it all out at once, I'm really think that ducks should be capable of litter training!

 

[neo71665]

When they go broody they will form a nest and lay in it. Otherwise they will drop it when nature calls. I've found eggs everywhere from in my pond to the dead center of my cow pasture.

 

[indianaducks]

When they go broody they will form a nest and lay in it. Otherwise they will drop it when nature calls. I've found eggs everywhere from in my pond to the dead center of my cow pasture.

These are 5 month old mallard ladies... would they go broody yet?

 

[Crazy Duck Lover]

I’ve read to not let a duck sit until they’re at least a year old

 

[indianaducks]

I’ve read to not let a duck sit until they’re at least a year old

I'm not. We collect them every time we find them.