Scovies Started Laying On Floating Dock

[texasjenn]

So on a weekend whim I I built a floating dock for my pekin's to use to get away from predators and to have a place out on the pond they could go to. It was by no means a permanent dock (and it floats using pool noodles..lol) and was more something I could have while I repaired the bigger one we have. Well now my new muscovy's have started using it as a nesting box.....Our pond area has tons of places to lay eggs (the pekin hens just usually dropped wherever and the scovy/pekin mix actually made a nest in the reeds) and boxes with straw but the new hens decided they liked the floating dock .The dock is stable and the scovy hens seem to love it! I did attach a string to the edge so that I could pull it in as needed. The ramp was more for the pekin ducks but the muscovies just fly directly on and off it....




So now my dilemma is what to do once they lay a full clutch....should I let them sit on them and just do their thing? Right now we have 8 eggs that have been laid over 4 days between the 2 hens. I am not really prepared to incubate and hatch the ducklings myself and figure ducks usually know best when it comes to their babies.....I am just concerned that the eggs (and ducklings eventually) are on a floating dock and not on solid ground (will the ducklings be safe?).

 

[furbabymum]

I've no idea but your pond is AWESOME!

 

[jdywntr]

Honestly, with no protection from predators I would be worried about all of them. A pond is not protection against predators. IF the hens are around long enough to hatch out a clutch, the ducklings will be fine.

 

[texasjenn]

lol thanks! We were thrilled when we found this house as it is right in middle of town but we have a pond in our backyard and no neighbors to the side or behind us (buffer zone for an old shuttered manufacturing plant) and first thing I thought was DUCKS! We have taken care of the snapping turtles in the pond and the ducks are good at evading predators (they fly to the trees or into the water) so this current flock is doing pretty well. I had them penned for awhile in a little area I built for the pekins but the scovies just flew over the fence...lol...so now they just all free range and they LOVE the pond....
Bigger pic of area in pond where the dock is

 

[texasjenn]

We have only lost 1 duck to predators in the year since we started having ducks. We have never let the ducks hatch a clutch as the other ones we had were pekins and they never laid in one spot routinely so we just collected the rouge eggs every day. We have tried cooping them at night but the scovies just escape or fly out of the pen...So far they all just roost at night on the top of our screen in boathouse next to the bank or up in a treehouse that was never finished. Right at about dusk they fly up and stay there all night....freaked me out the first time I saw them do that as I came outside to check on them and there they were, perched in the trees staring at me...

 

[jdywntr]

The thing is that a hen is not going to roost at night if she is setting.

 

[furbabymum]

lol thanks! We were thrilled when we found this house as it is right in middle of town but we have a pond in our backyard and no neighbors to the side or behind us (buffer zone for an old shuttered manufacturing plant) and first thing I thought was DUCKS! We have taken care of the snapping turtles in the pond and the ducks are good at evading predators (they fly to the trees or into the water) so this current flock is doing pretty well. I had them penned for awhile in a little area I built for the pekins but the scovies just flew over the fence...lol...so now they just all free range and they LOVE the pond....
Bigger pic of area in pond where the dock is

Beautiful. You're very lucky!

 

[Going Quackers]

It is pretty but i dunno what are your predators? I have been hit with disaster myself this week despite NEVER having problems in the daytime and I leave all my 'scovies full flight, we have plenty of trees.. open land, cut down grass... It's a risk with young, the mother if a good one will defend to the death.. my lilly is beyond protective of her clutch of 9 yet they are now eight weeks old.

 

[Marty1876]

If you have foxes and raccons, I would reconsder letting them set there. However, did you allready say that they your ducks have safely made nests in the reeds on the edges of the pond? If they've done this, and hatched out ok, I guess I'd let them go for it. In town, I'd think your biggest preditor here maybe dogs.