Help! Duck sitting on eggs outside of coop!

[lmpeebles]

Hi there! I have 3 ducks (2 girls and a drake) and 2 chickens. Normally they all sleep inside the same coop at night and I shut the door each night when it gets dark.

Tonight, Bubbles, one of my girl ducks, was not in the coop when I went to shut the door, and unsurprisingly I found her sitting on 3 eggs in a nearby bush. I feel terrible making her come inside but wondering if she's safe??? When my chickens go broody outside I just force them into the coop at night (since they're sitting on unfertilized eggs there's absolutely no point!). But these duck eggs are probably fertilized, and I wouldn't mind a few ducklings

Should I put the eggs and her inside the coop? Or leave her be? There's not a lot of places for her to go if there's a predator about. 28 days is a long time to let her fend for herself outside!

 

[alibabba]

I wouldn't risk losing a good duck. Put her inside the coop with the eggs. Is it too small for a little dog crate or at least a basket or something like a nest? With a little curtain...people use cut t shirts, socks etc so she would still feel like she is hiding,

 

[JadeComputerGal]

Hi there! I have 3 ducks (2 girls and a drake) and 2 chickens. Normally they all sleep inside the same coop at night and I shut the door each night when it gets dark.

Tonight, Bubbles, one of my girl ducks, was not in the coop when I went to shut the door, and unsurprisingly I found her sitting on 3 eggs in a nearby bush. I feel terrible making her come inside but wondering if she's safe??? When my chickens go broody outside I just force them into the coop at night (since they're sitting on unfertilized eggs there's absolutely no point!). But these duck eggs are probably fertilized, and I wouldn't mind a few ducklings

Should I put the eggs and her inside the coop? Or leave her be? There's not a lot of places for her to go if there's a predator about. 28 days is a long time to let her fend for herself outside!

Moving a nest is iffy since ducks will sometimes abandon them if you don't let leave the nest where they decided they wanted it, but I don't see that you have a choice. There is no way I'd leave her outside to fend for herself for 4 weeks, and she's going to need a safe brooding place for her babies anyway after they hatch.

I would do something like what @alibabba said and try to make her a private place inside the coop or pen. Ducks like to have privacy when they're setting, which is probably why she made her nest outside. Animal carriers (which I think is what alibabba means by a dog crate, but possibly not) can work well if they're sized appropriately. You'd want to make sure to use one that is big enough that she can easily get in and out of it, and that she can easily turn around in. You can put her nest in there and then show her where it is. With any luck, she'll decide she's okay with the new location and start setting again.

Best wishes!

 

[MommaMc]

I have had the same thing happen ...
I have 2 ducks setting on eggs now....the Buff made her nest in the corner of the duck house but the Harlequin made hers in a bunch of branches my husband put in the yard for them to eat the berries off of...

My first concern was that she was going to over heat!! her nest is in the middle of the yard with no shade..she was panting so hard
We had an extra stile so my husband helped me lift it and place over her nest for shade...
Then I got some 3 foot high welded wire with 1" squares and each night I wrap it around the stile enclosing her nest and all...
I hope this is enough to discourage skunks, racoons etc.

Maybe this would be a solution for you also? Good Luck....hopefully we will both have happy endings in about 3 weeks

MommaMc

 

[Carebear4785]

This has happened to me, me female duck has left her eggs outside of where they sleep at night. She hasn't made a nest as such, just made a comfy spot in the mud. I was thinking I was Gona have to build something around her at night time to keep her warm and safe. I'm in the UK. Would U advise I move the eggs and make a comfy nest in the coop or build a protection over where she's currently nesting outside?

 

[Jenbirdee]

This has happened to me, me female duck has left her eggs outside of where they sleep at night. She hasn't made a nest as such, just made a comfy spot in the mud. I was thinking I was Gona have to build something around her at night time to keep her warm and safe. I'm in the UK. Would U advise I move the eggs and make a comfy nest in the coop or build a protection over where she's currently nesting outside?

move her inside coop in my opinion. she might reject the eggs, but she can start over with new ones. Mark each egg with a number or a date as they are added to the nest so you can remove the oldest ones if necessary.

 

[Carebear4785]

move her inside coop in my opinion. she might reject the eggs, but she can start over with new ones. Mark each egg with a number or a date as they are added to the nest so you can remove the oldest ones if necessary.

Thank you, I will do. ,

 

[Jenbirdee]

Thank you, I will do. ,

If you can create a cozy private corner for her in the coop she will love it. something like an open sided crate