Pekin Ducks

[marmaset]

Hi All,
This is my first time with ducks, I was given 3 baby hatchlings (Pekin Ducks) from a school. THey looked fully grown when I got them at a month old. They are now about 6 months, still no curl feather in their tail and very noisy so I expect they are hens. My question is when and where will I find the eggs when they lay. I keep them locked up at night but they free roam through the day as they make too much noise if not let out. I check the yard for any nesting sites but nothing so far. Do they lay every 25 hours, like hens .and will they lay in there enclosure when the time comes. I live in Aus and its summer here.

 

[SolarDuck]

I made little nesting boxes out of a cat litterbox and a bottom tray of a guinea pig cage, I filled them with straw and ordered some dummy eggs, once I put the dummy eggs in the nests I got real eggs 2 days later. If you want them to lay in the same place try making similar nesting boxes for them.

 

[KaleIAm]

My ducks usually lay in the early morning, before 7am.

When my ducks were younger I also used dummy eggs. I just put them in a corner though, and my ducks made a nest around them. It helped my ducks to put their eggs in the corner they didn't sleep in. Since they poop at night it keeps the eggs cleaner, and helps me find the eggs. Dummy eggs are great. I used them for about 5 years. I took them away to wash them and quickly realized I needed to put them back!!

 

[416bigbore]

Our duck hens will make their own new nest every morning in their coop because I keep their wheat straw fluffed regularly to help keep it dry.

They have one of three corner spots that they will all use in the morning so I don't have to hunt for duck eggs. Once in a great while I will find one on the ground and figure the nest was occupied at the time and she couldn't wait?

Then again one morning when I was putting out their feed dish, one of our hens reached over into the dish to get a mouth full of feed and popped an egg out at my feet. LOL

I like it when they choose to use their straw nests, helps keep the eggs much cleaner.

 

[RJKnott]

My female pekin, Peep, lays her eggs in the middle of the night to pre dawn morning. Between 3-4 am

my other 2 females that are laying, my 2 Rouens aren’t yet, lay between 4-5 am

 

[marmaset]

Thanks very much everyone, this is most helpful. Surprisingly I found one egg this morning but as you say they can get very dirty. I give them clean sawdust in their bed area every day but I will try the box idea with cane mulch ( as thats all I have at the moment.) Its good to know that they lay quite early in the morning as I don't let them out till around 7am. I might keep them in till 8 till they get into a pattern. Once again thanks to all that responded.