I didn't think ducks could move their eggs so looking for a answer to the following:
I have one Khaki Campbell duck that prefers not to lay in the coop with the others (all Khakis). She has built various nests this spring and lays four or five days then moves on as I collected the eggs every day. The other morning I saw her building a new nest and thought maybe she is going broody. So I started marking the eggs and leaving them in the nest. On the fifth morning I checked the nest and all eggs were missing. No raccoon tracks or any sign of disturbance. We only have garter snakes and milk snakes (and some much smaller snakes) around here and not many of those and I don't think either could swallow a duck egg let alone five of them (but perhaps the milk snake might).
So she started a day later in a new nest in my lavender patch (Friday). Laid two days there. I brought the eggs in each night so night time predators wouldn't bother them and put them back in the nest each morning, including today. When I checked the nest mid-morning today there were no eggs at all and no sign of animal tracks. Couldn't find anything in my books and other literature about so am reaching out to my BYC friends.
If neighbors are watching me manage my nests they would have to watch via telescope as none are real close.
Any ideas?
I have one Khaki Campbell duck that prefers not to lay in the coop with the others (all Khakis). She has built various nests this spring and lays four or five days then moves on as I collected the eggs every day. The other morning I saw her building a new nest and thought maybe she is going broody. So I started marking the eggs and leaving them in the nest. On the fifth morning I checked the nest and all eggs were missing. No raccoon tracks or any sign of disturbance. We only have garter snakes and milk snakes (and some much smaller snakes) around here and not many of those and I don't think either could swallow a duck egg let alone five of them (but perhaps the milk snake might).
So she started a day later in a new nest in my lavender patch (Friday). Laid two days there. I brought the eggs in each night so night time predators wouldn't bother them and put them back in the nest each morning, including today. When I checked the nest mid-morning today there were no eggs at all and no sign of animal tracks. Couldn't find anything in my books and other literature about so am reaching out to my BYC friends.
If neighbors are watching me manage my nests they would have to watch via telescope as none are real close.
Any ideas?
Last edited:
