Has my muscovy gone broody? Nesting box question.

[Steffanyace]

This is all new to me, so pardon the basic questions. My muscovy has made a nest in the duck house (yay) and has eleven eggs. I couldn't find her the other day, and it turns out she was sitting on her eggs. I thought she had gone broody, but then she will be off the nest for hours at a time. Is that normal? The temp has been in the 70's lately.

Also, I'm using big litter boxes for nesting boxes, so the eggs aren't sitting on the ground. Will that cause a problem? I don't really like the way th litter boxes worked out, so I am going to change it. I'm going to keep the top but put it on a square wooden frame that would be open on the bottom, so it won't tip over when the get in it and will be open to the ground. Does that sound like a good plan?

Here are some pics:

 

[jdywntr]

It sounds like she may be but she could have been laying an egg, just laid an egg etc. If she starts pulling down and adding it to the nest then she is serious. Mine start setting at night for a few days and then they stay all day. They need to leave the nest at leasat once a day to eat, poop, drink.

They like to dig bowl shaped craters in the ground/bedding to nest in. I think it is safer to either have earthen floors or very deep bedding so that eggs don't get cracked etc.
You can try to just remove the bottom and put the top on the ground after digging a bowl shape, adding bedding and the eggs back in. She may or may not like this as she obviously likes where her nest is. If she doesn't like it, she will make a new nest but if the area is safe and you make it in the same spot, chances are good.

Make sure the nest is in a safe, predator proof area it should work fine.

 

[Steffanyace]

She seems to be sitting at night, so maybe that is what is going on. She has put down feathers on the nest, and today she partially covered them up with hay.

 

[jdywntr]

It is a little more risky, in my opinion, to try to move the nest if she is broody as she could abandon it. The eggs won't officially start incubating until she is setting all the time.

 

[Steffanyace]

I think I will let her have the nest the way it is this time, but I will change the other nest box. I saw the chocolate one eyeballing it this morning.