Egg laying/hiding?

[BellaM]

My free-range Muscovy ducks (dunno 'bout yours?) are very secretive - they will find the most obscure places to lay/hide their eggs. Places only they and the mongoose can find/reach! And, if the mongoose hasn't eaten the eggs and they hatch it's a race to catch the ducklings before the mongoose kills them all.

And I know they're laying 'coz I find egg shells all the time!

I have tried building an enclosure with nest boxes/small huts. This had a bit of success but I found that I was having to keep them locked up all day because they laid at different times (or were holding them in until I let them out? - can they even do that?! ) and then the drake wasn't having access to his ladies so I didn't know which eggs were fertilised?

I managed to save most the latest batch by putting them in a pen with momma, but momma was (still is ) furious and cleaning it was a mission which had to be tackled daily to prevent it becoming unsanitary. And I was just lucky to be there when she came waltzing to the pond with her babies, but by the time I got back with help and a box, the mongoose had already picked off a couple!

Honestly, I would rather the eggs were hatched inside the enclosure, which is both safe and spacious.

So my question is, do you have any suggestions on how to get the ducks to use the nest boxes?!

 

[Canadian Wind]

Muscovy are are wood 'ducks', and in nature would spend time in trees and higher places. The naturally make their nests in tree hollows and such.

Mine free-range also, but go to their coop at night. I've made them nesting boxes out of flipped-over storage bins, and they like these. If you don't want your to be laying somewhere where predators can get the eggs and chicks, you'll need to confine them.

My bigger worry would be that mongoose. I would try to trap it and release it far, far away.

Female Muscovy are very fierce and protective mothers. She will be like this for a while.