If I were a duck egg, where would I be?

[chicken pickin]

My ducks are about 24 weeks old. Im not sure if they are laying eggs yet because they free range. If they were laying eggs what type of locations do they typically choose to lay. Near where they sleep eat drink and swim, in tall weeds in the woods under branches a nest of leaves. I have no clue where to look we search the woods surrounding my house every few days but we have found nothing. I suppose they may not be laying eggs yet but the drake has been mating them for quite a few weeks now. Any tips on nesting areas they like would be great. The ducks are Blue Fawn Rouen and Blue Swedish(both hatchery ducks).

 

[Going Quackers]

Frankly, you may never find them lol Let's see, here mine do like the barn, their's and just about any others... they have laid in the horse barn(yes right beside the horses) in my farm cats bed(he resides in a storage building with the hay) under farm equipment, under the trucks lid(the cover for the back of the half ton we have set on the ground at the moment) under cedar trees, under wood stored underneath a tarp.

get the idea?

do your best to create "a nesting" area in your barn, but again no guarantees they will always use it, it's possible they have begun to lay, it varies most do by 5-6mths BUT weather and just individual cycles vary, i have had some lay at 4mths others be past 6.

Good luck for those us who free range it truly becomes a proper Easter egg hunt.

 

[chicken pickin]

Thanks for replying.

I let them fully free range so no barn for them. I had a house I finished for them but it was an old used chicken coop that I re-did and I decided it better suit the chickens so I put it in the chicken yard. I do however have a very large double dog house I acquired that I am working on today for them.

Anyhow back to the egg hunt. I found her first egg, Ninja my Blue/Fawn Rouen laid a pretty, little, muddy green(olive green) egg. The ducks sleep on my front porch every night. I found the egg on the front porch in a large plant pot full of dirt. I guess she chose her nest. She was just in the pot again a this morn a few mins ago. I will look for an egg in a short bit once they wonder off. I don't want her to feel her nest spot isn't safe if I go out fussin with it now.

I am super excited though I was thinking I would never find one until I eventually pen them up.

 

[chicken pickin]

 

[wildpeas]

My ducks change their egg laying area on a regular basis. They are currently on their 'deep in the bushes' routine that requires a run half way down the pony pasture to get to every morning when I let them out of their house. Pretty soon they will move back up to laying in the baby's breath, and then up next to the house under the water spigot before returning to the bushes again. Only one of them lays in their actual house.