New to raising ducks

[Kevin lenning]

Hi I have 3 pairs of flying mallards. I would like them to nest and raise babies. What do I need for nest box? And do I need to separate the pairs. ? I have no idea what I’m doing.

 

[KariR]

How old are they? I would monitor them and see who mates with who and if anyone is being picked on or any males that are being too aggressive. Our Mallard hen was a year old last year and paired up with a drake, laid her eggs in some tall grass on the edge of our yard and hatched 4 ducklings. We put some chicken wire around the spot she picked with a small opening in the front. Placed food and water there for her and waited. Since we have a lot more ducks this year we plan to watch and see who is getting along and who isn’t and separate accordingly.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Welcome to BYC!

Unless you're setting up a breeding program, I would get rid of two of those drakes. Drakes are horrible gang rapists, and one drake for three hens sounds just about right.

For a nest box, you can just leave plenty of hay on the floor of the duck house. Ducks aren't picky about where they lay. Unless they're going to set, they'll lay anywhere, including the middle of a pond. If your ducks live in a barn or have similar arrangements (ours are only penned during winter, for instance) expect them to make their own nests wherever there's a dark corner.

Ducks generally lay early in the morning, so if you want eggs in a specific place, keep them penned until that time. If you lean a piece of plywood against a corner, she'll probably nest behind it. That's what ours do.

Mark whichever drake you plan to keep. I made the mistake of not doing that, and then I couldn't tell which drake was the father and which were the sons. Our mallards are probably horribly inbred at this point.

You can clip their flight feathers. In fact, I recommend it. We've lost flying mallards twice that I know of--one slammed into the electric cable, and died. I'm not quite sure what killed her--cable or ground. The second tried to land in the back of the pickup and broke his neck.

Good luck!

 

[Kevin lenning]

How old are they? I would monitor them and see who mates with who and if anyone is being picked on or any males that are being too aggressive. Our Mallard hen was a year old last year and paired up with a drake, laid her eggs in some tall grass on the edge of our yard and hatched 4 ducklings. We put some chicken wire around the spot she picked with a small opening in the front. Placed food and water there for her and waited. Since we have a lot more ducks this year we plan to watch and see who is getting along and who isn’t and separate accordingly.

 

[Kevin lenning]

They are young. We raised them as day olds. They must be at least 6 months old. I noticed they were breeding like crazy . They are all in small pen together. I have no idea who is with who. I can’t let them out to nest in yard, we have too many coyotes. I was wondering if a nest box with hay would work.

 

[Kevin lenning]

No one seems to sell duck nest boxes except for the type you would put out for wild ducks.

 

[sylviethecochin]

No one seems to sell duck nest boxes except for the type you would put out for wild ducks.

That's because, unless they're setting, ducks really don't nest. They'll lay eggs anywhere. When they are setting, they'll do their darndest to find a quiet, out-of-the-way, dark little hideaway--one you probably won't find until a line of ducklings are led out from under your porch a month after you assume Mum was taken by a predator.

 

[chickens really]

You have 3 Drakes and 3 Hens..
Won't work and the last thing that you should be worried about is nest boxes.
Three Drakes will over breed the Hens or possibly drown or kill them?..Who told you that was the right thing to do with Ducks?

 

[Miss Lydia]

You are doing the right thing by not letting them nest in the yard Just make sure they have plenty of bedding in a quite spot inside their house. It is still pretty early for brooding unless your in the south. But mating should bring along eggs and then once they lay the amount they are comfortable with brooding will commence.

I have to agree having 3 drakes is going to make it extremely hard on your females drakes are so hormonal. so please either separate into pairs in pens or think about rehoming 2 of your drakes.

Welcome to BYC!!

 

[gilbert2]

Welcome, Kevin.
I am usually the guy who gets criticized for his dim view of drakes, and for expressing the grossness of their rape actions. Nice to see some of the kind ladies of BYC echoing my sentiments.
As they have said, unless you want to endanger your hens, please find new homes for all but one drake. Really--this is terribly important.