Ducks being messy

[Newfarmer36]

I bought a duck Thursday that's laying eggs. I went into the coop yesterday and found one laying in the middle of the floor that was absolutely filthy!! My chickens lay their eggs in the enclosure in their coop. It's very spacious and more than big enough for the duck to go in.

Most of the time, my chicken eggs are clean and pretty. So I'm not used to seeing eggs dirty like this.

My coop is pretty much always clean so I don't know how she got it this filthy!

Are all ducks like this?!

 

[TeeMom]

Yep! This is normal for ducks. Pretty much everything they do is messy. I have floor level nest boxes that I keep nice and clean for them, but they rarely use them. Instead they like to lay where ever the most poop is...or wait until I let them out and lay in the middle of the yard for the dogs to gobble up.

 

[Newfarmer36]

Yep! This is normal for ducks. Pretty much everything they do is messy. I have floor level nest boxes that I keep nice and clean for them, but they rarely use them. Instead they like to lay where ever the most poop is...or wait until I let them out and lay in the middle of the yard for the dogs to gobble up.

Is it maybe like a defense mechanism or something?!

 

[TeeMom]

Is it maybe like a defense mechanism or something?!

I don't think so...I think it's just an effect of being wet and making mud wherever they go. When I can actually get them to lay in a nest box, their eggs usually are clean, but they prefer to lay where they are and naturally those spots are already covered in poo after bedding down there all night.

 

[Newfarmer36]

I don't think so...I think it's just an effect of being wet and making mud wherever they go. When I can actually get them to lay in a nest box, their eggs usually are clean, but they prefer to lay where they are and naturally those spots are already covered in poo after bedding down there all night.

That makes sense! Thank you!

 

[chickens really]

Hello...I provide deep shavings for my Ducks and a bit of straw in an area. They dig a hole and lay their eggs in that. Then the eggs are clean..

 

[Newfarmer36]

Hello...I provide deep shavings for my Ducks and a bit of straw in an area. They dig a hole and lay their eggs in that. Then the eggs are clean..

I have about 4 feet of shavings in the coop. Lol. I went in today and found the egg she laid this morning. It was in the enclosure where there's no dirt, mud or poop. It was still dirty. Lol

 

[Miss Lydia]

I would be totally surprised if my ducks laid an egg and I found it clean and I use deep litter and keep my coops clean.

 

[pamelajean]

My ducks dug out a nest in the shavings on one end of their house (deep litter pine shavings). They never poop over there and most eggs are pristine! Sometimes there is a feather or a piece of wood shavings stuck to it and that is all really. I'm considering myself lucky.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yep!! lol