Dirty nesting boxes after one night

[ChickInDelight]

I watched a funny post on YouTube with 'talking ducks' that answered like politicians. Anyway, the ducks said they made their homes with sticks and excretement - mostly his.

When I locked my ducks in their new duckhouse with a sand floor, the ducks dug a hole in the sand and laid there - behind the milk crate. I have since added hay, but the ducks don't care for the house I have spent months building.

Today, I discovered why the ducks want to hang around the chicken hutch in the backyard. Behind a wooden panel leaning against the house, they dug a hole in the ground and have quite a clutch. I threw some hay in the area today. We shall see if they hatch anything.

In any case, what I learned is that the Mallards like to dig a hole behind something.

 

[bayyjayy]

Um....yeah....I have to agree with your statement: I used straw but the poop just sat on top, which was so nasty. So...you have just saved me a lot of frustration. I guess I will continue to use the shavings I have and maybe use a kitty litter scoop to get the big chunks out. Another thing that worries me, which is DUMB, I know, but I hate getting stuff all over my pea gravel and sand. The straw is all over the place...I pick up the big piles, but still it all over. The pine shavings.....oh, that will be a nightmare, though I bet it will break down quite fast. I got doggie pet taxis which I thought would work GREAT, but there is no lip on the edge...I noticed that you have a small piece of wood on the bottom of the doors of your houses...that HAS to help keep the shavings in. I may have to figure out something with wood in the front of the taxi doors. Make sense??

I am going to go check out that link right now.

I appreciate you!

 

[FarmrGirl]

I use nest boxes and, yep, those silly ducks like to sleep in them! Those are the best beds in the house - LOL! It's a big competition to see who gets in first.

Some breeds really like to make their own nests, like my Cayuga girls. They build these beautiful nests in the straw on the barn floor, then, after they lay the eggs, they cover it carefully with more straw. It's so cute to watch them pulling in the straw all around them while they sit in the nest, then they get up and do the final touch ups. Before they go out the door they always do one last check to make sure it's hidden.

I put new straw in the nest boxes every day to cover the night before poop. That will usually keep the eggs pretty clean.

 

[bayyjayy]

Quote:
I actually wondered about this very thing! I told my hubby over and over that he didn't need to build something so elaborate....though, in his defense, the shed was already there, he just had to frame in the part for them! I really worried about them not having any interest in the new house, though they have no choice....they HAVE to go in it! Poor things.

 

[bayyjayy]

Dana....what do you use for nesting boxes? Will you post pictures? Also, you put new straw in every day...how often do you clean it completely out?

I was thinking......what about those round, rubber feed bowls? They are kinda expensive....$8 each, but it would keep the shavings in more.

I may start a thread of have people post pics of their nesting boxes so I can figure something out. I thought the dog crates would be perfect! Hmmmm.......

 

[FarmrGirl]

Quote:
Hey Bayyjayy!

I'm not home right now but I can post some tomorrow (if I can remember by then - lol!)

They look just like this but they're made from wood:

AC Moore was selling some used merchandise bins for $2 each so I bought several to use in my basement as potato and onion storage bins (they stack). When I built the duck barn I didn't get the nestboxes built into the side before the girls started laying so I threw those in until I finished up. 2 years later, I still don't have my fancy nest boxes built! LOL! I'm planning the rollout nests so that they eggs don't get all gross when another girl climbs in, walks her dirty feet all over the other eggs before she lays hers.

One day...

 

[bayyjayy]

Dana, you said: I'm planning the rollout nests so that they eggs don't get all gross when another girl climbs in, walks her dirty feet all over the other eggs before she lays hers.


Rollout nests....what are these? I thought I had it figured out until you said about the other girls climbing in and walking all over them.


Thanks for the pictures. Can't wait to see your built ones, though. How big are they? The pic you posted made them look really small.

I appreciate it!

 

[FarmrGirl]

The current (temporary) nest boxes are about 16x18 and 8-10 inches deep. A good size.

Roll-out nest boxes are awesome! It's a fairly simple concept. Your nest boxes just need to tilt slightly and be lined with something that isn't an obstruction. Then when the girl lays, the egg rolls into a tray area where it's out of the nest and ready to be gathered! The idea is to make the roll away portion inaccessable to the girls, that keeps their grimy feet off my clean eggs!

Here are some idea pics I've been gathering:

Note the astroturf liner, cheap to buy, easy egg roll, easy to clean or replace

nice egg-catcher

It doesn't get any easier than that!!

of course, you can buy them premade also

 

[featherfinder]

My ducks all have one house they go into with no nest boxes. I have astro turf on bottom and then about and inch an a half of horse stall pellets on top of that followed by grass clippings from mowing the yard every week. I mix it around daily and then weekly remove the grass and place in plants then add new grass and pellets if need be. My ducks lay in there and just build up their own nests with the grass and pellets. Its nothing fancy but they like it really well.

 

[bayyjayy]

Horse stall pellets...have heard of these but never seen them. That is a smart idea of using grass clippings each week....NEVER even crossed my mind, but what a great idea. I may have to think about that one.