The Quack Shack

[Canadian Wind]

I also observed when I had those buckets in the duck house That they preferred to make nests out in the covered part of the run where they could dig a little hole in the ground. The ones who went broody out there seems to hatch more eggs as well. I think the curvature of the bucket made it difficult for them to turn their eggs the way they wanted to.

I use storage bins with a hole cut in the end. They love it! Especially the scovies, since they are crevice-nesters.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

That's exactly what mine do. They will dig a small impression in the ground or in the pine shavings and then lay their eggs. I guess that is more natural for them as that is what they do in the wild. When ever my Mallard hatched any out they were always from a nest like that.

Also when several ducklings hatched in the buckets It just seemed like it wasn't enough room For them to get comfortable under mom in there Without getting smushed. And perhaps they know things we don't.. Like maybe the humidity is better for the eggs. When put in the ground instead of having that plastic under them?

That's a good idea! - I need to ask my neighbor with the cows.

Still searching for the best dux-furniture, but i am afraid there is nothing quackfect:
Some ducks love to sit in the straw on the top-floor shelf, some dig their nests in the deepest corner of the house, others don't like to have a roof over their heads, some want to have walls around them and some just want to sit in the middle of an open area.

I have the same concern with the curvature of the buckets. But when you cut those mineral buckets in half, you get the best of both: A nice curved roof and a flat surface to build a flat nest.

I don't know if cutting them in half would make them big enough for standard size ducks, though. What you may need to do is like the one you will see in the ending of this video. I could not find a photo but I remembered it being in this youtube. I plan on making some more of these, all of the ducks like this. It is kind of annoying that the calls liked to set on top of it and poop, though. Right now I am using it in my cayuga pen. This was the little shelter I had used for my three newest cayuga ducklings i hatched last summer. Well, those are the ones that are coming in to lay right now and kept laying in the middle of the run. I thought maybe if I put something in there. They were familiar with they might lay in there instead. It has worked!

 

[Luv Ducks]

Also when several ducklings hatched in the buckets It just seemed like it wasn't enough room For them to get comfortable under mom in there Without getting smushed. And perhaps they know things we don't.. Like maybe the humidity is better for the eggs. When put in the ground instead of having that plastic under them?



I don't know if cutting them in half would make them big enough for standard size ducks, though. What you may need to do is like the one you will see in the ending of this video. I could not find a photo but I remembered it being in this youtube. I plan on making some more of these, all of the ducks like this. It is kind of annoying that the calls liked to set on top of it and poop, though. Right now I am using it in my cayuga pen. This was the little shelter I had used for my three newest cayuga ducklings i hatched last summer. Well, those are the ones that are coming in to lay right now and kept laying in the middle of the run. I thought maybe if I put something in there. They were familiar with they might lay in there instead. It has worked!

May I ask what that container she was laying in was? I wasn't sure. Thanks

 

[shawluvsbirds]

May I ask what that container she was laying in was? I wasn't sure. Thanks

That is another mineral tub upside down. It just has a door cut out of it instead of cutting it in half.

 

[Luv Ducks]

That is another mineral tub upside down. It just has a door cut out of it instead of cutting it in half.

Thanks, I never knew they were that big. It seems to work well for your birds.

 

[Muscovy Wunda]

One of my drakes has gotten his tail curls now soon hopefully puddle duck will begin laying eggs! In other news, the basset hound has begun laying eggs and stashing them under her kennel

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Also when several ducklings hatched in the buckets It just seemed like it wasn't enough room For them to get comfortable under mom in there Without getting smushed. And perhaps they know things we don't.. Like maybe the humidity is better for the eggs. When put in the ground instead of having that plastic under them?



I don't know if cutting them in half would make them big enough for standard size ducks, though. What you may need to do is like the one you will see in the ending of this video. I could not find a photo but I remembered it being in this youtube. I plan on making some more of these, all of the ducks like this. It is kind of annoying that the calls liked to set on top of it and poop, though. Right now I am using it in my cayuga pen. This was the little shelter I had used for my three newest cayuga ducklings i hatched last summer. Well, those are the ones that are coming in to lay right now and kept laying in the middle of the run. I thought maybe if I put something in there. They were familiar with they might lay in there instead. It has worked!

I tried the totes and the dux looooved them! - They loved them so much that they jumped on top of the totes and shat all over them… That's why i would prefer something with a round roof, nobody will be able to perch comfortably on round roofs.
Maybe Violeta can, as a duxling she stepped into chewing gum and since then her feet are super-sticky, she can even perch upside down like a bat…
I'm thinking about building something like this out of plywood:

And set that down on the straw, so they have a roof, walls and if they want to, they can also sit on the (straw covered) top.

I need to get my wood work-shop going...

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

That is another mineral tub upside down. It just has a door cut out of it instead of cutting it in half.

Hmm, i have some buckets that are leaking, might be worth a try…

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hmm, i have some buckets that are leaking, might be worth a try…

That would be interesting leaking buckets with ducks in them and ducks on top pooing and leaking down onto the ducks inside .

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

That would be interesting leaking buckets with ducks in them and ducks on top pooing and leaking down onto the ducks inside .

Those buckets are not that bad! - They won't hold water for very long as they have cracks in the bottom. Some idiot tried to move rocks in those buckets and just dropped them in…