New Member from Texas Hello Everyone

Hello Everyone,

I've raised chicken on and off for the past few years this year I decided to go all in and get 75 Rhode Island Red Hens and Barred Rock Roosters. I also have an assortment of about 10 ducks of various breeds(rouen,white runners, blue runners, blue Swedish). The plan is to keep the hens for eggs and Roosters for dinner.
My pet ducks are 4 months/27 weeks old now. I got them when they were babies from a local feed store. They have not imprinted on me, but will come when called no matter where they are on the property all I have to do is call for them "duckies" and they come running. The only exception would be in the middle of the day when the sun is full force and they have settled in for an afternoon nap in the shade. As a lot of you may know from keeping ducks, they are quiet odd sometimes and fun to watch. Even though they will come when called or follow close behind me if expecting treats, as soon as I stop and make any kind of gesture to attempt to walk in their direction they take off running. I have to stand still or crouch down if I want to hand feed them. They actually weren't always so skittish, when they were about a month old we took in another duck that was slightly older and not used to getting so much attention. Besides refills of food and water she didn't get taken out of her cage much. Anyway this duck was so scared and on high alert all the time that my ducks started adopting her demeanor unfortunately.
All in all they are the best pets ever hahaha they rarely quack. The only times they quack is if I call them which is I guess their way of answering back that they're coming my way, when swimming in fresh pool water, or once a few got trapped and they quacked back and forth till I went outside and figured out what all the commotion was all about.

I do have a question about them quacking, now that the ducks are starting to lay. In the early morning I can hear one of them quacking non-stop for an hour or so. A quick glance around and I can see a couple of the ducks missing. One I now know is laying a egg in a semi-hidden area close by and the other I haven't figured out where her nest is. Is the duck quacking trying to look for their friend? I know they are inseparable since if one duck takes off in one direction the others are quick to follow suit, but I would assume they know they will be back as soon as they finish laying. Or is she quacking for another reason?

Texas