Nest boxes for Muscovies?

[TennesseeTruly]

We use cat & dog carriers for nestboxes for almost everything. They're great because being plastic they're easy peasy to clean. Alot of times the local dog & cat rescues get carriers that they can't use because there are no doors on them. They're perfect for nestboxes.

Laurie

 

[newbie ducks]

I built some boxes for mine, actualy boxes with a circle cut out of the front(to one side). They really seem to like them and i have had 3 hens go broody in them.

I have a wild Muscovy duck we call her cookie dough & talk to her, so she gets kind of use to us. she rather go forage than eat what I try to give her, but she does like cooked rice with touch of honey water, cooked butternut squash mixed with yellow, green squash mashed up. she doesn't like live meal worms or broccoli or cracked corn, sunflower seeds mixed meal. I made her a cardboard box house with front & big side window so she can see us come out of my house her nest is 3 ft from my front door in my flower bed in the corner of my house I put a blanket over it when its to cold outside & when weather is good I remove the blanket, but its not going to last that long outside. she already made a nest & laid 14+ eggs & starting to sit on them & takes her breaks in the afternoon, comes back before sunset to stay the night. what can I replace it with or can I at this point while she gone off on break?

 

[nuthatched]

I have a wild Muscovy duck we call her cookie dough & talk to her, so she gets kind of use to us. she rather go forage than eat what I try to give her, but she does like cooked rice with touch of honey water, cooked butternut squash mixed with yellow, green squash mashed up. she doesn't like live meal worms or broccoli or cracked corn, sunflower seeds mixed meal. I made her a cardboard box house with front & big side window so she can see us come out of my house her nest is 3 ft from my front door in my flower bed in the corner of my house I put a blanket over it when its to cold outside & when weather is good I remove the blanket, but its not going to last that long outside. she already made a nest & laid 14+ eggs & starting to sit on them & takes her breaks in the afternoon, comes back before sunset to stay the night. what can I replace it with or can I at this point while she gone off on break?

Plastic tote. Don't give her anything too many treats, it's bad for her. Get duck food if you want to feed her.

 

[Sosalty]

Turkey size nest seems 'bout right. My white 'Scovies liked to perch. My black 'Scovies will land on Woody duck boxes 7' high, but won't use the 2X4 perch in their pen, or perches around our pond, or perch in the trees. As to type of nest, my novice observation is that they like privacy, (see Newbie ducks above has the idea) sorta a hidden away place to nest. All 3 of mine will go into a dog house to sleep together. They have 2 nests, 1 in the doghouse in the back open air coop, and 1 on the pond island, also the other half of the doghouse. They share the 2 nests. Most eggs will be in nest #1 a few days, then most eggs in nest #2 a few days.

 

[newbie ducks]

Plastic tote. Don't give her anything too many treats, it's bad for her. Get duck food if you want to feed her.

thank you and I live in jacksonville florida. she don't eat any of the corn crackle mix food its for chicken & ducks even tried the duck small feed for all life stages food. she rather go forage over at the pond with the other ducks at the pond is across the street behind peoples homes. I been over there they all come running up to me I gave her & all the ducks, geese some of the crackle food & introduced myself to her family & friends let them know who I was & that her & her babies are safe. over at the pond there are geese, other ducks, wild turkeys across the pond. the neighbor kids used to feed them at the pond & gave them all names, so I know she cookie dough, big oreo, oreo jr, xbox, paula are her family & the rest of her family use to come over with her, but past 2 days she been coming over by herself. today she stayed all day & all night in her box didn't even take a break & leave to go to the pond like she normally does. maybe she go take a break sometime tomorrow. I don't think its time yet for her babies to hatch. she just started sitting on them 2 days ago. not sure if she dropped anymore eggs when she started sitting on them. she dropped her 1st egg on january 13 & on jan 14 she had another one, but that one didn't make it had a crack in it. I disposed of it for her & then after that she had about 4 eggs in her nest for about 2 weeks then dropped more on jan 30 there was 9 eggs and on feb 2 she had 14 eggs. I haven't checked if she has anymore didn't want to disturb her nest.
I think maybe she chose my house thinking they be safer over here.
I go outside talk to her everyday. when I take my grandson to school he tells her good morning & to have a nice day. and goodnight & she a good mama. I think she kinda understands us when we talk to her. I trying to get her use to us since she is wild & her nest is 3ft from my front door. I don't want her to go into protect mode & try to attack us or anything like that when her babies hatch. hopefully she don't do that. I think she kinda smart I have cement edging all around my flower bed her kids will not wonder off to far from her. I left her a way out & way into the flower bed area. I have to figure out a way to do my yard work around her since I live in HOA they picky about not having your lawns nice. I e-mailed my HOA told them about mama duck, how I made her a box house & what fish & wild life had to say that there's nothing I can do about her & have to wait until she moves out on her own. hopefully that keeps them off my back about things.
I don't know about duck's I got 2 inside cats, 2 inside huskies I let them smell one of her eggs so they get her sent & know she a good duck & they help protect her. the 1 stray cat that hangs out next door it use to come up to the window to see my 1 cat, but that cat don't do that anymore I think my cat told it to stay away & not bother her. and my dogs watch out for her them & my cats will watch her through the windows. I think they think of her as family now & will protect her. and when her babies come they be like mamas to them. lol. I guess when the babies are old enough she take them over to the pond to stay.

 

[Miss Lydia]

She will leave the nest as soon as all hatch and if she has some start to hatch a couple days after the others she may up and leave them behind. If the road she has to cross with her ducklings is busy you might want to be available to stop traffic until they are all across.