How do I stop the eggs from freezing?

[xIndigoSkyx]

Ill be starting to collect eggs on the 24th of february

this year but as you know (and as the jokes always say) it's darn cold in Canada! Its been extremely warm this winter, almost like spring time when it should be blowing and storming. Still I'm worried that the duck eggs will freeze before I can get to them. How would I stop this?

Should I design some kind of nest box where the duck lays them and the fall thru a grate to a little warm place to stop the ducks from squishing them but keeping them safe when I lock my ducks in there dog house for night thus keeping the eggs warm too? Any ideas suggestions?
Background info: I'll be keeping the runners in the warmer shed because they tend to just drop there eggs anywhere so those won't freeze in the shed. The pekins will be in the larger side of the duck kennels which is basically a chain link run with a dog house. I usually just lock them up in the chain link run at night but when there laying eggs I'm thinking of locking them in the dog house. Same goes with the Rouens just on the other side. I'm worried about crushing the eggs too if I lock them up. They'll be kinda cramped in there, maybe I should not lock the male up with them, Just the girls? The reason I wanna lock them up in the dog house is because they tend to drop there eggs wherever there's straw.

 

[xIndigoSkyx]

?

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

My ducks lay wherever they happen to be at the moment that they get the urge to lay an egg. No matter how fancy I make a nextbox for them, they don't use it until they just happen to be sitting in the box when they egg pops out. My ducks tend to lay at really odd hours too, and it changes from day to day. It might be hard toknow when to lock them in the doghouse.

Its been crazy warm eh? I'm just outside Winnipeg and its hovering around 0 C right now! Its January and we hardly have enough snow to go snowmobiling!

 

[xIndigoSkyx]

I know! I was outside cleaning out there pen today in shorts and a sweater cause I was getting hot! Mine usually lay at night never durning the day. It's was so warm this morning when I went to go let then out I got splashed with water from the gutters! I live just outside Edmonton. I think... I'm gonna lock my duckies up for the night... Maybe just put an old tire in for the runners.

 

[xIndigoSkyx]

My boyfriend and I just go out on the ATV but it was so icy we just about landed ourself in a ditch once.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Quote:
I usually don't clean out the duck and goose pen during the winter because its all frozen, I just add straw on top and do a mass cleanout in the spring. This year its only half frozen, just enough to stink really bad, but not enough to get it out.

 

[xIndigoSkyx]

I usually get the pitch fork out and call t friend over and we jump on the thing to get the froze stuff up but yah it smells worse than ever this year. The quackers don't seem to mind tho, they like being lil' piggies! That just means I have tO haul out the bucket more often to let them wash

little spoiled cheeky puffballs

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Nope, mine seem to prefere they stinky coop!

 

[xIndigoSkyx]

Around what time of year do your duckies start laying?

 

[Going Quackers]

I'm not sure you can, when we had that awful cold snap(On) i did loose a few eggs.. they were cracked.. for the most part though, mine are doing ok.. so long as they are laid in the barn, sometimes i have had a hen decide outside was a better option and those have been lost indefinitely.