preparing the nesting boxes for ducks.

This is the time of year when the ducks start laying in earnest, and as we raise out ducks primarily for meat I knew that I would have to do some work on the nesting boxes if I wanted then to lay and hatch ducklings in there. The first thing That I always do is line the base of the nesting box with old magazines. The ducks like to dig down in the straw and lining the boxes means that the eggs at the bottom still stay warm. Ducks are also messy so have something which is a bit absorbent, but not so much as to get sodden also helps hatch more eggs.

The next step is a privacy curtain, they are quite fussy about having a private space . I want to encourage them to lay in the nesting boxes and not under a bush in the garden. The reason for this is that a duck, out side is a "sitting duck" very vulnerable to any passing predator. I am not the only one who likes a duck steak.
This is half an old sand bag which turned out to be just the right size for two nest box curtains, though it might not win me any design awards. As this has to be redone every spring I just staple the bag to the box and cut slits for access. Then I fill the nest up with straw and hope it gets duck approval.

Fortunately it seems that ducks don't have much fashion sense because the nesting boxees were in use pretty much as soon as Id finished them.