Laying

[RenaeHB]

I am a first time duck and chicken momma. We got 8 laying hens when they were a year old so I have not had to do much for them but I got my ducks when they were 4 days old. They are coming up on 15 weeks and I want to make sure I have everything they will need when they start to lay eggs. Our chickens usually free range but we have not let the ducks out yet. They do have a pen that they go out in everyday. We are still not sure how many of our ducks are male and female. Our best guess is 2 males and 6 females. What is the best things to have for them to lay in?

 

[Canadian Wind]

What kind of ducks are they?

From my limited experience, mallard-descendent ducks will lay wherever they feel like it, lol! Muscovy prefer a deep nesting box, preferably slightly higher up.

That being said, our Magpie hen laid and sat her eggs in a 'nesting box'. It was an old covered litter box. I wouldn't expect any eggs until Spring, though (depending on where you live, of course!).

 

[RenaeHB]

What kind of ducks are they?

From my limited experience, mallard-descendent ducks will lay wherever they feel like it, lol! Muscovy prefer a deep nesting box, preferably slightly higher up.

That being said, our Magpie hen laid and sat her eggs in a 'nesting box'. It was an old covered litter box. I wouldn't expect any eggs until Spring, though (depending on where you live, of course!).

We have Pekin, Rowen, and Crested.

 

[ruthhope]

My son's pekin females will lay anywhere but when he added a muscovy female who liked a nesting box, one of his pekins started sharing the box. We put in one box each but rarely were more than 2 boxes used: the muscovy and larger pekin often shared a box and the second pekin remained a drop my eggs anywhere gal [including at my feet when I am petting her in the garden.] Then he got a pekin drake who immediately took over one of the nesting boxes. So all the boxes are now used but only 2 for egg laying!!