Do I make a special nest box for the Ducks?

[GlacierNan]

It's about 3 weeks till Laying Time for my girls!
13 chicks and 4 ducks, have been together since day 2. I know what to do for my hen's nest boxes but not a clue about the ducks! I am using the deep litter method will they use that? Do I put hay or straw on the floor and let them make their own?
Will they use the chicks nests? I have heavies so the boxes will be nice and roomy.
I've read about them nesting outside but up here we got 31' of that white stuff last year and I just don't see them spending much time outdoors!! lol

What do ducks like?

Please tell me cause I sure like them!

Thanks

 

[Crazy4Chicks]

My 3 ducks use a 3 sided ( it has a top too lol ) shelter kinda like a dog house nothing fancy and I use a deep litter method in it - my female cayuga will dig out a nest in the far back corner to lay her eggs -- sometimes she has been known to lay her egg where ever feels like it and in the morning I have to have an egg hunt.

my ducks dont live in the same yard as my chickens ( because my 2 male ducks try to breed the hens it is not a pretty sight lol ) so I dont know if your ducks will use the same nesting boxes as your chickens

as far as snow goes we got a good amount last year and my ducks spent just as much time in the snow as they did in thier little house - I went out a few times and found them sleeping outside with a light snowing falling did not seem to bother them -- of course they were not happy to have thier kiddie pool frozen

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Deep litter works fine with ducks too.

As far as I can tell, giving them a little protected corner space that they can nest in, if they choose, and plenty of fresh straw is about all they really want. We built ours simple little A-frame nest roofs inside the pen and they didn't seem very impressed, although they have used them. I don't think they are very particular.

Just make sure they have access to fresh straw.

 

[dixie chicken]

I just get my first duck this year so I do not have much experience but I got three pekin ducks in the spring. I believe two are female cause I am getting couple eggs most mornings. My ducks get locked up in a three sided dog house type structure which has a heavy gague screen door on the front. During the day, they free range. No nest, just a deep litter of straw. From what I have read, ducks lay their eggs at night / early morning usually by 10 am. So far, I have found this to be true. I will occasionally find a stray egg laying somewhere in their roaming area but usually the eggs are there first at light when I let them out of their pen.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Also, unless you give them artificial light, they probably won't lay after fall arrives . . . but that depends upon the individual duck.

 

[GlacierNan]

Thank you all for the info! I have a much better grasp now

I have all my fingers and toes crossed that some of the bunch will start to lay this fall and keep it up thru the winter! I just put in two windows but they are on the East and North sides. I may try to get a couple of more in this month. Get as much of our 7 hrs of winter daylight into the coop as possible

~!~Thanks again~!~

 

[Jayare's Chicks]

My ducks walk up the plank to the chicken coop and lay their eggs in the nest boxes. They usually lay their eggs between 3 and 4 am when the chickens are on the roosts.

Jayare

 

[2manyhats]

Jayare's Chicks :

My ducks walk up the plank to the chicken coop and lay their eggs in the nest boxes. They usually lay their eggs between 3 and 4 am when the chickens are on the roosts.

Jayare

Sounds like well behaved ducks. LOL​

 

[jacyjones]

I have only 1 duck now and she shares the shed with my chickens. She lays on the floor of the shed or in a nest box and seems quite happy.