Please help out a duck noob. Eggs, yay! Cracked eggs, boo!

[Moochie]

I'm asking for advice or a solution...
My ducks started laying today! Yay! 6 eggs out of 10 hens! Not too shabby.

Found 4 on the ground and two in their pond. All were cracked. Boo.

Is this common? I imagine when they hit the ground they crack? Their ground isn't soft or lush... When we first got them in their little duck enclosure thing there was grass, greens, safe shrubs, safe plants, and even a pair of pine or something like that. 4 months later it's all gone. The ground isn't green anymore, it isn't soft, it's like dirt cement. You have to get like a rotor tiller to loosen it up. Right now it's all bumpy like. And when water gets on it, it sits there. Doesn't absorb into the ground. But hey! Atleast it isn't smelly!
I kind of wanted ducklings and storable eggs this year.. Maybe duck eggs to give to friends.. Can't do that if they're cracked.
What do y'all think?

 

[ChickenPrnces]

Is it cold where you are??

 

[ChickenPrnces]

Just realized you are in Cali so probably not! What are their nest boxes like???

 

[Moochie]

It gets cold in the mornings and at night. We were told not to bother with nestboxes. There is a large doghouse (the plastic kind that you can take apart) in their coop but they haven't used it to lay in, atleast not from what I've seen. Seems like they only go in their coop when there's bad weather anyways and to eat/drink.
I found two again this morning and not cracked. Yay. There's probably more in the pond but I don't know how to get them other than pumping the pond. Mom and I pumped and refilled it just yesterday. I just don't like the idea because I don't like to waste water.

 

[sourland]

Provide nest boxes with hay or straw, and that is where they will lay their eggs. Filling the large doghouse with bedding should serve the same purpose. With no place to lay, they have no choice except to just 'drop' their eggs.

 

[nickie]

When my ducks first started laying they would just poop them out wherever, including their pond. They aren't confined to any particular spot but usually stay close to their pond. After a while they started building nests out of twigs, leaves, and grass. Provide nesting materials for them and maybe they will start laying them without breaking them soon.

 

[nickie]

When my ducks first started laying they would just poop them out wherever, including their pond. They aren't confined to any particular spot but usually stay close to their pond. After a while they started building nests out of twigs, leaves, and grass. Provide nesting materials for them and maybe they will start laying them without breaking them soon.