Okay, I need help!!

[shelleyd2008]

It has been pretty nice here weather wise lately. I still have yet to find any eggs from my 4 ducks!! They do free range, but they seem to hang out near the pond for the most part.

So give me some ideas of where I can look? I have searched all around the pond, and this time of year, there really isn't that much tall grass to hide them in. Especially since the pond is in the middle of the horses' pasture. I don't think they would be going into the woods? It is a bit of a trek away from the pond, and these ducks are pekins, rouens, and cayugas, so they don't get too far away from the water.

Am I just missing them, or are they just not laying? Give me some tips on where to conduct my 'search'!!

 

[austinhart123]

look in horse feeders, corners in the horse barn, ( many ducks burry eggs so keep that in mind while looking) any bush, plant, wheelbarrel, knocked over trashcan or anything between their coop and the pond, and be careful becuase they bueey their eggs very well so it may look like nothings there

 

[poultrykeeper08]

Also look at eh edges of the pons SOme ducks lay then in and near the water if they are new to it . But like austinheart said look in the feeders and corners . They are good at hideing nests

 

[birdsofparadise]

I always found my mallard eggs under bushes along the edge of their pond. Never more than 10 feet from the water.

 

[henjoy]

If you have the time, watch your ducks for a few mornings. Of course, they always go back to the same nest. We mostly found the eggs under rose bushes and in patches of daylilies. It took a few days of watching, but we finally found the nests.

 

[ShadyGlade]

Just a thought, but if you're looking to collect your eggs maybe you should give them a place tempting to lay? We use the plastic square dog houses with lots of fluffy bedding to bury the eggs & keep them clean. This also keeps the crows from finding and breaking them which used to be a problem - could something be eating yours?

 

[streemers]

my ducks will lay in the pond sometimes. they layed in there house for a few days but moved it after i took the eggs. now they are laying between my house and some log rounds. but i bet they will move it again now that i found them. also they all use the same nest. hope that helps....

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
I doubt anything is eating the eggs, unless they are going into the woods to lay them. My dad's dog doesn't let any animal on the property that doesn't belong. Now she would eat them, but she would also bring them to the house, lay in her usual spot, then eat them! So I don't think it's her.

They do have a 'house' to lay in, but so far I haven't found anything there. The only ones I have seen inside their 'house' is the drakes, so that doesn't help any! I'll just have to hunt some more. I read online that they usually lay at night, or in the early morning? Is that so? Cause whenever I see them in the morning, they are all together in the pasture, digging in the mud, no hiding places there.

 

[austinhart123]

Quote:
when i incubated duck eggs i went out every morning to collect duck eggs, at six o' clock (before school) and the eggs would already be there and some already cooled down