Does anyones ducks ever consistantly use nesting boxes?

[Featherland]

I am planning on redoing one of my coops and am wondering about having nesting boxes in there. I would probably keep them in their coop/pen in the mornings until they lay. If you don't use nesting boxes what do you do?

 

[duckyfromoz]

Mine get let out early in the mornings- often just before sunrise due to my work hours- And I collect eggs once they are out of the shed. For the last 6 weeks- almost all eggs have been laid in the boxes- Although I have 4 boxes available to them- it seems they are lining up to use a particular one at times. I will mostly find three eggs in one nest- and single ones in others. One duck who has never laid regularly doesnt always make it to the nest - but will lay just at the front of them.

 

[Amiga]

I have a similar situation to duckyfromoz. My runners are just beginning to lay. One began 6/17, and now there are five or six layers of the eleven.

It seems to me that the first egg or two gets laid outside the nest, but most eggs (we are up to five now) get put in one of the nest boxes (which are two wooden cheese boxes).

Before I had the cheese boxes, the ducks had begun making a nice little depression in their bedding. I reckon they would have used that if I had provided no boxes. By the way, I put straw in the boxes. Their bedding is a mix of pine shavings, pine sawdust, and peat moss.

 

[Wifezilla]

Sometimes they lay in their duck houses. Sometimes I find them in the run, in the pool, under the shrub....

Today it was next to one of the water bowls

 

[duckluck]

Mine almost always lay in the nest boxes.

 

[ChickenToes]

Not a single duck of mine has ever used a nesting box. Not once. They like to lay in a corner of the coop, they have a nice little nest hollowed out. But they don't even use that consistently, lately 2 of them made a nest in another corner of the coop.

 

[Amiga]

So, Wifezilla,

I think my runners must have read this topic. After I posted my reply, I went out to gather everyone into their house and night pen (so I can get absorbed in something else without fretting about them until I get their day-yard secured, but I digress).

What should I see beside the swim pan but a lovely pale green egg? One of my black runners probably began laying this morning, after I let everyone out into the yard.

This is the first time an egg with a shell has been laid after 6 a.m.

With this little flock, it is something new at least every couple of days, if not every day.

And in regards to the original post, please modify my response with this new information! Still, most eggs are laid in one of the two nest boxes. So far. Today. Until that changes . . . . . .

 

[Amiga]

So, Wifezilla,

I think my runners must have read this topic. After I posted my reply, I went out to gather everyone into their house and night pen (so I can get absorbed in something else without fretting about them until I get their day-yard secured, but I digress).

What should I see beside the swim pan but a lovely pale green egg? One of my black runners probably began laying this morning, after I let everyone out into the yard.

This is the first time an egg with a shell has been laid after 6 a.m.

With this little flock, it is something new at least every couple of days, if not every day.

And in regards to the original post, please modify my response with this new information! Still, most eggs are laid in one of the two nest boxes. So far. Today. Until that changes . . . . . .

 

[Featherland]

Well, I think I will put in nesting boxes and hope they will use them. What is a good size for ducks?

 

[CityChicker]

I think a lot depends on the type of duck and whether you have them locked up at night or not. My bantam ducks frequently use their nest boxes (almost always these days). My Runners almost never do. They are in covered runs though that give them secure, but outside access at night. They lay anywhere and everywhere out in the runs.