So, my ducks will be a year old March 28th. I have one drake, a pekin, the ducks consist of a white crested, 2 rouens, and a runner mix of some sort. My girls have been laying since the fall but none seem interested in hatching the next generation. I'm in Georgia so its not nearly as cold as other places. However, its been raining a LOT the last few weeks so I've had to make a few adjustments to the duck house. They free range til around 10 PM-midnight or so (just before I go to bed), then I let them out again around 6:30 AM. I usually get 3 eggs unless its been unusually cold or storming. I would like at least one of my girls to have some mixes. But I won't be too upset if they don't. I just bought my first chicks from tractor supply. I'm excited to see that mixed flock as well. I have 3 jersey giants, a barred one, and 3 RIRs. Not sure what the barred one is but its our favorite. The oddball runner mix was our favorite last year. Jeffrey surprised us when he became a girl but she is the only one who lets me pet her and occassionally will let me pick her up. They met the chicks the other day. It was just warm enough for them to be in the rabbit pen long enough to clean their brooder. The ducks kept sticking their heads as close as they could to the fence and making little cooing quacks to the chicks. The rabbits went up and smelled them for a few seconds. The chicks (who are only about 2-3 weeks and about 1/2 feathered) were also attempting to fly in short spurts. It was adorable.
I am not sure and wondering this myself. I think it depends on weather, age, breed. I was told if the duck only leaves the nest a couple times a day, and sits on eggs, that is an indication of broodiness.
They can go broody any where from the time they lay that first egg till anytime after. But alot of breeds have had the broodiness bred out of them. So you just never know. But do you leave the eggs after they lay? they will lay eggs until they feel they have enough to lay on so if your taking them every day you may not get a broody. Also I feel leaving your ducks out well after dark is asking for trouble, and it's amazing you haven't had them all drug off and eaten. It would be a good idea to lock them up at dusk and back out at day light. Alot of preds come out at dusk and are looking for a duck dinner.
Here's the thing. I live in an area where there just aren't that many predators large enough for a duck. We also have more than one fence and the ducks go into their pen by themselves most nights. I also live in sort of a triangle where we face one road but our neighbors face on one side face the same way but the others face a different road and just behind us maybe 1/4 mile a store faces a different direction. Most of the houses within and bordering our triangle also have fences and 2 of the 3 roads are main highways. I have seen 1 deer, a few stray dogs, and the occasional skunk or opposum in the 10 years we've lived here. I was working nights a good bit until about 2 weeks ago so I was leaving well before dark and getting home around 11 or so to make sure they were put up. During the warmer (hot) months I would take the eggs daily because I didn't want them to rot. But because its winter and it has rained so much I haven't collected the eggs but every few days. My girls also lay at different times. Sometimes they lay in the house like good little ducks, other times I have to go hunt for them all over the yard. However, as we build the new coop we will be adding fencing to create a pen that will house the ducks, chickens, and I'm thinking of adding a little door for the rabbits to come and go from their pen as well. My rabbits have a 10'x12' dog kennel that connects to where the new pen will be. We'll just see how my plans go
My crested duck laid and ignored about 200 eggs before going broody. After a very cold and long winter, she finally turned broody the spring that followed ans has been sitting on her eggs religiously.
