Problem with mandarin nesting.

[CAWoodduck]

Hello everyone. One of my mandarin hens has started laying, but ive been having a problem. She laid two eggs in one nest box and when i came home from work to check i noticed both eggs smashed on the ground. I was puzzled and thought maybe either her or another hen somehow got the eggs out, i then wondered how the heck they would be able to get the eggs out? A couple days later she laid an egg in another nest box, the next day the remnants of the egg was on the ground again. Then she laid an egg yesterday in yet another nest box and i came home today, with the thoughts of yet another catastrophy, and i was right, i found the egg was gone out of the nest box and after inspection i found the shell in the pond. Can someone tell me if they have ever experienced this, and if so, how the heck does a duck get an egg up out of a box!! The cavity nesters i have in the same pen as the woodies are ring teal and mandarins if that is any help.

I know i cant stop it, and only hope when everyone starts laying, maybe the culprit will be to occupied with their own nest to continue doing this!!

Oh ya, i dont have rats at all, and no snakes either. Once in a while a tree squirrel will show up, but i havnt seen one yet this year, so i ruled that out as well.

Thanks in advance!!.......................Jason

[WhitecallOR]

Jason, I had the same thing happen to me a few years back. After sitting out there next to the pen most of one day I found out it was the wood ducks. Now if this is your problem I don't know. After I removed the wood ducks and put them in their own pen the problem was solved. I don't know if it was a territory thing or just simply the wood ducks not wanting the mandarins to lay in those box's I don't know. As far as them being able to get the eggs out of the deep nest they sure didn't have any problems. Well man I hope I helped and again that was what I had happen so maybe you have the same thing going on. Well good luck and maybe soemone else has a better idea. Good luck Eric

[CAWoodduck]

Eric,

I think you are right about the culprit being a wood duck hen, my hen that i hatched last year starts getting freaked out when the mandarin hen goes into a box, the hen woodie starts flying from box to box calling the whole time, almost panicking. I even seen her land in the porch area of the box that the hen mandarin was in and the hen mandarin gave her a couple of bill lashings and chased the hen woodie away. Oh well, i'll have to wait and see what happens, hopefully the hen woodie will get her own nest going and leave the mandarins alone.

Thank you for sharing your experience!!..................Jason

[Evy]

How many boxes for how many birds ? I try to have nearly twice as many nests as I have pairs & I still get dumping ( several birds laying in the same box ) & the occasional broken egg. You may have to separate them if the Woodie is that aggressive.