Free range ducks sitting on nests - best protection if any?

[Alycea]

We have 5 free range ducks (and chickens) in a very large fenced garden. They can fly, and occassionaly swoop out only to turn immediately and head back in to the garden, so they obviously recogise the boundaries of 'their' enclosure.

Normally we put them in their own house at night for protection.

Last year our 2 female ducks nested in the duck house - on the same nest, but that is another story. All well and good and 2 ducklings resulted, whih have grown into 2 more females. This spring besides the duck house, and chickenhouse, they have been setting up nests in the garden. We have been taking the eggs from these nests to dissuade them sitting (as we don't want more ducks). However, our ducks are devious, and our oldest duck managed to set up a nest in a hedge without our knowing. Next thing we know she is sitting on her nest and won't be budged.

We've decided to let her stay, and will sell the ducklings once hatched.

She is well hidden and we are resigned to the hope that she wlil remain unharmed whilst out of the duck house at night. Our bigger worry is once the ducklings hatch. The previous year, because they were in the duck house we could keep the ducklings enclosed and protected. We don't know what do about this year. We have owls, a garden snake and currently a pestering hawk (whom we are trying to dissuage from the area). Any thoughts or suggestions welcome...

Maybe try to move Mum and ducklings once they are born in to the duck house?

PS: We have another sneaky duck who has nested in the duck house (starting with only 1 egg), so not sure if this would cause trouble between the females. Ah, life in the country

 

[Lugh]

You can move her now that she is sitting on the nest full time. Occasionally, my ducks will start a nest outside of their shack, at which point I let them continue to lay there until they go broody. Then, when they go broody, my wife and I move them. I grab the duck and she gathers up the eggs and the nesting material, then we move them to the shack at the same time. Mom will freak out until she sees her eggs, at which point she calms down and sits on them. We shut the door to the shack and leave her in there with the eggs for at least 12 hours. I end up doing this frequently as they don't always lay where I want them to.

I find it's better to do this at night. She's easier to grab and she will stay with the eggs no matter what since it's nighttime. Problem solved, and you don't have to worry about waking up to a dead duck.

 

[Alycea]

Oh thank you! That's great to read.

Do you think it will matter that we have another nesting duck already in the duck house? (We would put her in a different nest of course from the already nesting duck.)

I am assuming it would not be a problem, but whilst I have the chance to ask...

 

[Lugh]

How big is the duck house and what is the layout? Is there some way to isolate her and her eggs in their new nest?

I will also tell you that every duck is different. Mine doesn't care as long as she has her eggs-- others might be different.

 

[Alycea]

The duck house is two-fold, a house within a house. So the smaller house can hold 2 ducks comfortably. It sits within a much larger duck house (for added privacy). The whole things is 2 mtrs x 1 mtr.

The current duck house nest is within the little house in the house. We were thinking of moving the existing outside nest to the far corner of the outside/main house, e.g. as far from the other nest as possible, and hidden by the interior duck house wall.

The other option is to put her in the chicken house (that's where the ducks laid and hatched their eggs last year) as it has two levels, the coop above and a nesting area underneath.

 

[Lugh]

Well, she'll be a lot more likely to sit on the nest if you can put her somewhere with a door that can be shut. Then she has no choice but to sit on them. I've heard of some needing to keep the door shut for up to 24 hours, but my duck just rolls with the punches and sits on her eggs no matter where they are.

 

[Trying to help]

Hi I’m hoping to get some help.. we have a duck that has laid eggs by the back door of our office.. there are tons of cars and big trucks that go thru the area we have been feeding her duck food live worms and giving her water which she eats and drinks.. a male duck tried to strangle her in the parking lot.. which we intervened.. but we don’t know how else to help her.. should we enclose the area?should we move her??? There are lots of homeless people I’m worried if we put something up it would draw attention and they might take her eggs…we call FWL and they said they don’t come out for that stuff…once babies are born they most likely would
be killed due to the traffic and no real pond or anything..mom is wild Muscovy..