Pekins are breeding....now what?

[fowlenheim]

We have 3 Pekin ducks. 1 Drake and 2 hens. The drake has been "Getin Busy" here this weekend.

I'm wondering how this works. I suppose there will soon be eggs..... and there should be a nest then right?
Is this hen going to build it?
What do I need to provide to get a family going here?
Thanks for your help

 

[JadeComputerGal]

We have 3 Pekin ducks. 1 Drake and 2 hens. The drake has been "Getin Busy" here this weekend.

I'm wondering how this works. I suppose there will soon be eggs..... and there should be a nest then right?
Is this hen going to build it?
What do I need to provide to get a family going here?
Thanks for your help

Mating doesn't mean laying. Ducks don't lay because they're mating, it's just when they're ready to lay. They'll do that in absence of a drake. Do you know how old they are?

If the ducks want to make a nest, they'll do it from available materials. Straw, wood chips, even the feathers laying around. I'm a huge fan of nesting pads because they keep the eggs so clean, but you should at least provide your girls with a secure nesting box with something like straw in it to give them a start. They would dig around in that to hollow it out and add their own bits of what they want to use for their nest.

Keep in mind that Pekins aren't known for going broody, meaning wanting to set on a clutch of eggs. Many people do have Pekins that will set on eggs, but it's not something you can depend on. You don't want to give up on it if you want ducklings. Ducks will decide how many eggs they want in their clutch before they start setting on them, and it's a very, very large number with some. I had one duck that didn't set on her nest until she had laid 18 eggs in it. After that, she was in mother mode and don't you dare get near my area.

Best wishes!

 

[Keah]

Hi,

I too have 3 pekins, one drake and 2 hens.

I only recently got them and he too had been 'busy' and i saw eggs the next day..i left the egg where she laid it..then the next day there was another and then after she had laid about 3 eggs in the one spot she started to build a nest in the nest box i provided for her..so if you do see an egg, leave it there and she will get into the behaviour of nesting. But yes i agree with JadeComputerGal on that mating doesn't always mean laying. It up to her to decide. she will in time

Good luck!