Free Range Ducks, nesting?

[zzGypsy]

Quote:
yep this is true. they will *hide* the nests once they think about being broody... and if you find them, they'll start over and hide them again. it's an easter egg hunt every day

 

[iajewel]

Mine free range with a dog, for protection. Honestly If they are not in the 20x20 breeding pens I would never find a single egg. Even if they are in the pen by the house whitch is a 1/2 acer rather then 30 acers. I would never find an egg. I keep them in breeding pens so that I know who is bred to whom and every egg is accounted for. I put food coloring up the bumms so each egg is layed with a dye, thus I can tell what duckling came from what hen. I do keep pedigrees and cant' house every hen on her own. In a pasture situation they hens will all lay eggs in one nest, when that one is full they will allow one hen to set that nest and the rest move on until everyone has a full nest of eggs. They do this because one hen can set 20 eggs, but she cant' lay 20 vital eggs that would hatch. She needs those 20 eggs in a short period of time. thats why the last hen to hatch out normally has about 8 ducklings and the first about 30 LOL.. So.. in short free range will give you allot more ducklings and is a good option if you aren't keeping pedigrees.