Male duck in the nesting box??

[Lightbrahmalover]

So, I have two male ducks in a chicken coop with a some hens and roosters. This morning I was going out to refill their water bins and only one duck came up to greet me. The two ducks are an inseparable pair and so I got worried something had happend because I have never seen them apart. I went into the coop and started looking around and I could not see the other duck anywhere. After looking around the whole coop I finally saw the duck in one of the chickens nesting boxes. When he saw me he got out, so he wasn’t stuck. To get to the nesting the boxes the duck had to climb up a ramp and crawl into a one. It was really funny because this was a massive pekin duck fitting into a little hen nesting box. I have no clue why he would crawl in there. It was a tight space and I have never seen him crawl up the ramp. Any clue why?

 

[KaleIAm]

Are you sure your duck is male? It is easy to make a mistake on duck gender, especially with pekins.

If they are male, I have heard of drakes playing with eggs by rolling them around and even sitting on them. It is uncommon but not unheard of.

You might want to reconsider keeping male ducks with chickens, as drakes can, and do, damage and kill chickens by trying to mate with them. Their anatomy is just too different.

 

[Miss Lydia]

This is Opie my Muscovy drake he loves to go into the coop and find an egg and lay on it.
He'll lay on it until I am finished cleaning and ready to pick the egg up. He's never gotten in to a chicken nest box though.

 

[Lightbrahmalover]

Are you sure your duck is male? It is easy to make a mistake on duck gender, especially with pekins.

If they are male, I have heard of drakes playing with eggs by rolling them around and even sitting on them. It is uncommon but not unheard of.

You might want to reconsider keeping male ducks with chickens, as drakes can, and do, damage and kill chickens by trying to mate with them. Their anatomy is just too different.

I am completely sure he is a male. I’ve had the chickens and the ducks together for about 3 years and we’ve had no problems. I could see him playing with the eggs since all the ladies go up there all the time.

 

[Lightbrahmalover]

This is Opie my Muscovy drake he loves to go into the coop and find an egg and lay on it.
He'll lay on it until I am finished cleaning and ready to pick the egg up. He's never gotten in to a chicken nest box though. View attachment 3161726

How sweet! I guess he just wants to be a supportive dad.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Who knows my drake is pretty nutty! lol

 

[ruthhope]

Anthing you [hens] can do, I can do!!!! Ducks are the most amusing creatures!!

 

[Lightbrahmalover]

I caught them again side by side both of them chilling in the boxes. The poor ladies really want to lay in the boxes but they cannot. This time they both got stuck so I had to pull them out They seem to enjoy it though!

 

[ruthhope]

I rehoused a rescued juvenile pekin drake with my son's all female flock. The females each have a nesting box although only 2 lay in the boxes consistently, and they often squeeze in together and lay in the same box. New Boy now sleeps in one of the nesting boxes!!! I don't think he is trying to brood eggs. I just think he likes the feel of the sides of the box and the pinestraw nesting material.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I caught them again side by side both of them chilling in the boxes. The poor ladies really want to lay in the boxes but they cannot. This time they both got stuck so I had to pull them out They seem to enjoy it though!View attachment 3199122

They got stuck? how funny.
Here is my drake in one of the places where there is usually a duck egg. He loves to go in there when i'm cleaning and move the bedding around make himself a nest and lay down and talk to me. Sometimes even when there is still an egg in there.