Ducks moving nest site

[PtldChick]

My three 6-mo runner ducks are giving me two eggs per day, and sometimes three. They are constantly moving the site where they lay the eggs, I believe based on the fact that I find and collect them.

They are good at choosing a nest site that they all use, not just anywhere they happen to be at the time, which I've read can happen, but I have to check several spots to find them. If I miss a day, they will comtinue to use the same place and build a cache of eggs.

They were laying in their house for a while, but now it's out in the garden section of the run, usually in one of the bamboo plants. I'm not locking them in the house at night because their run is pretty safe and guarded by my dogs, nor am I particularly inclined to start doing so.

Anything else I can do to encourage the use of one spot? Would a golf ball/balls help? Or leave one of the eggs and keep swapping out? I'm assuming this is good instinctive behavior to move a nest that's been found by a 'predator' and I appreciate that they lay together in the same spot, so I'm not that concerned or inconvenienced.

Thanks.

P.S. One of my chickens that just started laying is laying her egg with the ducks' eggs rather than in one of the nest boxes in the coop like the others, which I find interesting. So far, she has moved sites with them.

 

[animalsRawesome]

I think that it would probably help if you left an egg or two in the nest. I usually just mark a couple eggs with a marker, that way I just leave the same couple eggs in there everyday.

 

[bayyjayy]

I use golf balls and they work well.

 

[Rosebud 18]

I tried the golfballs and plastic egg but they just kicked those out and only lay in the same nest if I leave an egg in there.
I used to think mine were safe without being shut-in at night until an owl got after them one night. I didn't even think about and owl.. If it hadn't been for my geese raising such a ruckus and alerting us we probaley would have lost some ducks that night. Now I lock them in every night.