Nest-making outside of the pen!!

[FluffTheDuck]

So my female duck Donald (yes Donald) has a nice nest inside of her coop but doesn't use it. Instead, when I let her out she stays in the bushes all day!! And I had always thought she was just scared so she would hide in them until I pulled her out and there was an egg. Now this isn’t a problem for me kind of (I have to reach down the snakey bushes and pull the egg out) but it is for Quakers(no c) the male! I have to put him up because he freaks out SOOOO bad!!! So he doesn’t get any outside time because Donald is taking her time being outside for phhh 10+ hours! I take her inside but then none of them can get free time!! Please help me think on how to get her to lay in her OWN house.

 

[sourland]

given the opportunity she is going to hide her eggs so that you do not take them. Locking her in the pen/coop until she lays would be a viable solution.

 

[FluffTheDuck]

Okay. But she’s gotten tricky, if I don’t let her out until she lays, she doesn’t. I have tried this for a week and give up at night and let her out for 5 minutes and put her back. No egg...