Why won't my Muscovies leave their nest boxes?

[Nat-S]

I have 8 female Muscovies and 1 Black Bellied Whistler. (I'm not sure, but the behavior indicates the whistler might be a male.) Anyway, 3 of my girls want to spend nearly the entire day in their nest boxes. Two of them even share a box. I haven't been getting any eggs for almost a month now. I'm thinking the up & down temps have interrupted their egg production. Anybody know why my girls insist on living in their nest boxes?

 

[White Leghorn]

Possible broodiness?

 

[jdywntr]

Are there eggs in the nests?

 

[Nat-S]

No eggs. I haven't gotten any at all for nearly a month now.

 

[jdywntr]

Do you have too many males? What is your male:female ratio? They could be hiding in there to stop being bred.

If your ratio is good then, if it was me, I'd be kicking them out and blocking the nests if need be. It could be they are going broody even though they have no eggs. Some are just more determined, regardless. But in doing so they are likely to lose body condition and then may take longer to start laying again.

 

[Nat-S]

I don't have any male Muscovies. However, I'm not sure if my Black Bellied Whistler is a male. I have seen him standing on the back of one of my girls, but she isn't one that is staying in her box.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I don't have any male Muscovies. However, I'm not sure if my Black Bellied Whistler is a male. I have seen him standing on the back of one of my girls, but she isn't one that is staying in her box.

They could be just feeling broody, even without a drake [but you may have one] they will still go broody. even without eggs, when is the last time you took their eggs? If I don't want mine to brood and take their eggs they will still sit for a while before getting over it, as long as they aren't sick they will probably come out of it.

 

[Nat-S]

I haven't had ANY eggs in nearly a month. I know that crazy weather can play a roll and our weather down here has been crazy. I just figured the weather is the reason I haven't been getting eggs. My next door neighbor has Muscovies too and he hasn't had eggs for a while either.

 

[jdywntr]

I haven't gotten any eggs for about a month, I think. I've had 3 broodies hatch out babies since December but all 4 girls have stopped. I have one that hasn't gone broody, the first broody should be laying again by now. My chickens are going crazy with eggs so

 

[Dalton14]

I have call ducks and i havent had any eggs this year. I have them on duck grower,layers pellets,and oyster shells and still no eggs am i doing something wrong? They have a nesting box is it possible she wont lay eggs at all, when do call duck generally lay eggs?