Muscovy

[Bleenie]

I just leave them in the nest, they will cover them up and move them around everytime they go in there to lay a new egg or check on them and they do check on them before they start brooding, lol. You will notice down feathers in the nest when she has decided to start brooding, she'll pull out her fluff to help insulate the eggs.

 

[hacharlton]

Will my two females use different nests, or will they do a community effort? Never had ducks before so I am clueless but so ready for some ducklings!

 

[Bleenie]

It all depends on the ducks & their personalities. I now have 3 different nests in the duck house

so i think mine plan to set seperately, but I had a pair of sisters that brooded together most of the time & then the black pied sis took over most the mothering.

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

Quote:
Interesting....mine have not layed yet so maybe that's why, but other ppl. seem to have them laying year round.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

If you mean age....mine usually go about a year or so and as far as season--it depends on your climate. Mine don't start until April or May at the earliest but we're almost up into Canada and in the mountains so we're a little behind on the month mine will start to lay.

 

[Bananarose24]

So they will lay them wherever then collect them into a sort of nest when they are ready?
We are in our first laying season as well and have plenty of questions..

 

[Bleenie]

Usually if you give them a cozy area to nest, they will lay there until they decide they have enough eggs, then they will start to brood them (Muscovies anyway). I have had some first timers that laid in the yard for the first week or so but then moved into the boxes in the house.

One of my girls started digging out a nest in the corner of the coop but it was under the roost so i moved her eggs to a box and changed the bedding and messed the nest up. She should eventually start laying in one of the boxes, sometimes it just takes them time..... I also suspect it's my newer girl, Hazel, and she is used to nesting on the floor of the coop because her old home didn't have nest boxes, just a shed full of straw for them to lay & brood in.

 

[hacharlton]

My Muacovies laid two eggs today. They laid them just on the ground in their pen and not in the duck house. I was tols to collect the first few so I did collect the two today. If they keep laying on the ground will they move them when they are ready to brood? This was in the open on the ground. Should I move them in the duck house?
I was also amazed how different the duck eggs feel compared to chicken.....they were really smooth

 

[1 Bad Rotti]

Congratulations!!! I'm not sure what mine are waiting on but I wish they'd hurry up.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have a question? My girls have been laying for 7 days now, there are 14 eggs in the nest box. so far no sign of brooding, but yesterday I saw some down in there. they keep them covered. should I take out the first eggs they laid? I have 4 marked as the first. How many should I take and when will they show signs of brooding? it's been at least 4 years since we have let aduck go broodie these 2 are 2 years old and have never hatched ducklings before.