Nests

[SJUDD]

Good morning all. My ducks are about a year old and they just started making nests and sitting on the eggs. I already have 12 adult ducks and do not have any room for more. My girlfriend has been taking my eggs and incubating them, which is how I ended up from 5 ducks to 12. She has some in the incubator now and I noticed one of my Mallard hens made a nest under the deck for their bathtub pond and is sitting on eggs (she won't go to bed at night, stays outside which worries me as there was raccoon feces in my backyard the other night but I also do not want to make her move if she is happily nesting) and then one of my other girls (don't know what breed she is) started a nest in their night time house and is sitting and hissing any time I go near (which makes it difficult to keep the house clean). Is anyone interested in Mallards or Mallard/Cayuga crosses? If not, I will try to sell them to the feed store. I am in Southern California.
Thanks

 

[Miss Lydia]

Good morning all. My ducks are about a year old and they just started making nests and sitting on the eggs. I already have 12 adult ducks and do not have any room for more. My girlfriend has been taking my eggs and incubating them, which is how I ended up from 5 ducks to 12. She has some in the incubator now and I noticed one of my Mallard hens made a nest under the deck for their bathtub pond and is sitting on eggs (she won't go to bed at night, stays outside which worries me as there was raccoon feces in my backyard the other night but I also do not want to make her move if she is happily nesting) and then one of my other girls (don't know what breed she is) started a nest in their night time house and is sitting and hissing any time I go near (which makes it difficult to keep the house clean). Is anyone interested in Mallards or Mallard/Cayuga crosses? If not, I will try to sell them to the feed store. I am in Southern California.
Thanks

Best way to control population is to take the eggs daily, they won't like it but sometimes it just has to be, and the one nesting in your back yard is really a gonner, It's up to us to make sure they are safe so either you move her and see if she'll continue to sit or come out one morning and find your duck dead or gone. Believe me I know trying to stay ahead of them in the brooding department it hard but I have had to mange birth control for years, I have Muscovy's

 

[SJUDD]

She is doing good so far. The area where she is nesting is right outside my bedroom window so I am leaving the window open and not getting a lot of sleep as I listen for anything to get into the yard. I figured out that if I leave a light on out there, for some reason the predators in the area have been staying away. If it is dark, they come into the yard. I have been leaving my dogs out later at night and putting them out earlier in the morning and that is helping. I don't want to move her but I am also afraid of losing her. I can't reach her where the nest is, anyways so I am not sure I have much choice at this point. I usually take the eggs daily but I went out of town for a few days and my husband apparently did not take the eggs out when he went to feed. I am gathering daily again though to keep from being too overwhelmed with babies.

 

[Miss Lydia]

She is doing good so far. The area where she is nesting is right outside my bedroom window so I am leaving the window open and not getting a lot of sleep as I listen for anything to get into the yard. I figured out that if I leave a light on out there, for some reason the predators in the area have been staying away. If it is dark, they come into the yard. I have been leaving my dogs out later at night and putting them out earlier in the morning and that is helping. I don't want to move her but I am also afraid of losing her. I can't reach her where the nest is, anyways so I am not sure I have much choice at this point. I usually take the eggs daily but I went out of town for a few days and my husband apparently did not take the eggs out when he went to feed. I am gathering daily again though to keep from being too overwhelmed with babies.

Well you are doing the best you can, I actually don't need any more ducks either, you notice I said need not want, but I gave in and am letting one of mine brood 4 eggs, I still consider it birth control because she'd like to have 10-20 lol but thank goodness she stayed in the dog crate I set up for her. inside the goose house. Way too many preds around here. Keep us posted on when lils hatch

 

[SJUDD]

Here are pictures. The Mallard nest is under the deck I built for around their bathtub. My dh was supposed to complete the deck last week but she nested before we could finish so waiting for the babies then I will complete the deck so that they cannot get under there anymore. Also picture of my other duck nesting (don't know what breed she is) and the babies fresh from the incubator last night.




This last one is a Cayuga Mallard mix. She has the cutest face I have ever seen

 

[Miss Lydia]

Here are pictures. The Mallard nest is under the deck I built for around their bathtub. My dh was supposed to complete the deck last week but she nested before we could finish so waiting for the babies then I will complete the deck so that they cannot get under there anymore. Also picture of my other duck nesting (don't know what breed she is) and the babies fresh from the incubator last night.




This last one is a Cayuga Mallard mix. She has the cutest face I have ever seen

Sure are pretty ducks and those babies

 

[SJUDD]

In the incubator, the eggs take about 30 days... I realise this is a dumb question before I even ask but should I expect about the same with the Mom's nesting? I figured if nothing hatched in 4-5 weeks, I would take the eggs away. Since they are so young, I am not sure what will happen with the babies.

 

[Miss Lydia]

In the incubator, the eggs take about 30 days... I realise this is a dumb question before I even ask but should I expect about the same with the Mom's nesting? I figured if nothing hatched in 4-5 weeks, I would take the eggs away. Since they are so young, I am not sure what will happen with the babies.

28-30 is normal unless you have Muscovy which can take 35-37.

 

[SJUDD]

Well, the black and white one (Sharpee) started breaking the eggs open before they hatched and killing the babies... I took her last four eggs over to my friend to finish them in the incubator. "Mama Cass" (the Mallard) is still under the bathtub, still sitting. I cannot get to her so I can't tell how the eggs are doing. I am going to give it about one more week or so before I try to move the deck and take the eggs from her. We have been really lucky so far. She has been down there for 3 weeks now and no predators have gotten to her. (knock on wood) Thanks for all of your advise