So ducks don’t nest huh?

[Tinkey71]

have been told that most ducks don’t nest- they just kinda lay wherever. Would’ve agreed until today. They have managed to make a hole in the dirt and gathered straw around it

 

[Miss Lydia]

Mine make a nest in the deep shaving inside their coop. Most lay inside. Some of my younger ducks will lay an egg while walking along! Lol

 

[Duckworth]

Mine nest in their straw bedding, but they change locations every so often. They usually all lay in one or two nests.

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

I used ceramic eggs to encourage laying in the nest. Although I have seen mine get up on tippy toes to drink out of the water bowl and plop an egg out. Then my snake friend ate the ceramic eggs and died and today I found rats in my farm truck. Stupid snake, I would have brought him some real eggs.

 

[Callender Girl]

Claire is the most shy of my six female runner ducks and often goes off on her own (or with her best friend, Grace Kelly). Yesterday, I couldn't find Claire anywhere -- until I looked in one of the chicken coops for my Buff Orpington. Honey was in the upper nest box laying her egg, and Claire was snuggled in the bottom nest box -- where I found three white eggs stockpiled. All my chickens lay in shades of brown, so apparently, Claire's been taking advantage of the extra nest box for at least three days.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Mi three Indian Runner girls each have their own nest in one of the corners of the duck-house and carefully lay one egg a day into their own nest. Two girls sleep in their nest, the third one (Nona Duck) sleeps in another spot every night.
Looking forward to the days when the other 12 will start to lay…

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I used ceramic eggs to encourage laying in the nest. Although I have seen mine get up on tippy toes to drink out of the water bowl and plop an egg out. Then my snake friend ate the ceramic eggs and died and today I found rats in my farm truck. Stupid snake, I would have brought him some real eggs.

Can rats be dangerous to grown up ducks? - I know they can kill ducklings, but mature ducks?

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

I don't know. I worry about my two ducklings. I had rats when I got my first set of ducks. Then the snake came to live with me. When n I had them befoore, they didn't bother the ducks other than eating their food, but chewed all the wires in my cars causing about a $1000 in repair bills.

 

[Callender Girl]

I don't know for sure, but I would suspect rats can kill a duck, especially my goofy little runners who can't fly away.

I had a rat living in a hollow tree near my chicken coops and duck shelter last year. I tried live-trapping it, but rats are smart and suspicious of new things. I finally resorted to a kill trap with dog food hot-glued down as bait. It only took one night for it to take the bait.

I can honestly say I was sorry to have killed it, but I was too fearful of what would happen to my birds. Since the Great Mink Massacre of 2018, I remain extremely vigilant about any potential predators.

 

[Loopeend]

I only have one that makes a nest; in the straw bedding or outside in a muddy ditch, and she carefully arranges one straw or one plant-branch at a time to create the perfect nest. Then the others often use it too and ruin it with their lack of finesse.
And then she starts one on a different place.
And so on and so on..

She is the only one that is half runner half wild duck. I wonder if that is the reason that she is more adapted to healthy duck behaviour. I think she probably will breed future eggs out as only one. The others probably won't nest/sit on their eggs, and she is due to half-breed not allowed to hatch eggs, so I guess she is going to be a surrogate mother.