I’ll bet you are asking yourself why would you want to make your own nesting boxes for ducks. Well, let me tell you about my flock of ducks.

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Make your own nesting boxes
I’ve read on so many sites how you can have one nest box for anywhere from 4 to 10 chickens. Well, that may be true for chickens, but I raise ducks. And ducks are a little different.
Ducks like to have their own nests. At least mine do. They tend to be very territorial and do not like to share. I’ve seen when a duck gets off the nest to eat, another duck will get on her nest. But when the first one comes back….well, it usually results in one duck sitting on top of the other, and that’s on a good day.
Another problem is if a duck can’t find a nest to sit on, she will lay her egg wherever she happens to be standing, in the middle of the run where everyone is walking, in a pile of poop, or from the rim of the plastic pond, down onto the rocks where it breaks.

Related: 10 Necessities To A Perfect Duck House.
Ok, I can take a hint, more duck nesting boxes!
There also is the issue that chicken nesting boxes are not big enough for ducks. They will try to squeeze into them, but it reminds me of trying to see how many people you could squeeze into a VW bug. How many of you did that?
Ducks also like a place that is dark and where they feel secure.
I need a place where the eggs will stay dry (it rains here a lot) and a duck laying box that is easy to clean. Lastly, I need something that is not going to take me a month of Sundays to make.

Enter: The Plastic Tote Nesting Boxes For Ducks
This is what I came up with. I looked for a dark plastic tote that was the right size for nesting boxes for ducks. ( it will need to be approximately 15″ wide x 18″ high x 23″ long.) You want it dark, not see-through. It gives the ducks a more secure, private feeling.
My wonderful hubby cut the opening in it for me. He started by drawing the opening with a sharpie then he cut it out with a hand saw. We first tried to cut it with a circular saw but the plastic wanted to crack and splinter. The hand saw worked great.
After it had been cut, the edges were a bit sharp so he edged it with duct tape. It was unlikely any of the ducks would have been hurt by the edges but the tape was there just in case.
(We later found that the outside layer of the duct tape came off, but the fabric inner part stayed on and did the job quite well. The soft side of velcro would also work. In hindsight, I really don’t think you need to use anything on the opening edges of the duck nesting boxes.)
More Reading: Duck Eggs Vs. Chicken Eggs, Why Duck Eggs Are Better

Installing the new nest/nesting boxes
I took the new nesting boxes out to the duck pen and tried it out. I put the top on the ground. It becomes the base and helps keep the eggs dry and clean as ducks like to dig through the deep litter to get to the dirt/mud to lay their eggs.
I then put clean hay on it and placed the base, which now becomes the top, on top of that. Done!
Wow, does that sound clear as mud? Hopefully, the photo will explain it better than I just did.
Related: 30 Gift Ideas For Duck Lovers
Collecting the Eggs
Now I can take what is now the top off, or just tip it, to gather the eggs, add fresh hay, or clean the nest box.
It did take a few days for my ducks to trust that this “new thing” in their pen was not going to eat them. They are so leery of anything new.
But now they love their new nests and I really love the clean eggs. I’m going to give them a larger one soon so they have room to raise a batch of ducklings. Mama will need that extra room for her brood.
Check out these other posts about raising ducks:
Deep litter duck and chicken run,
A Well Designed Duck Coop To Make Your Life Easier.
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Happy Gardening!

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How do you all keep the predators away. I’ve had raccoons get in my ducks nest and just this morning, a fox ravaged her nest. The duck and 1 egg are still survived.
You have to build a very strong coop and run that predators cannot get in. Welded wire is your best choice. It has to be very secure. Check out these posts. https://www.lifeisjustducky.com/predators/ and this one https://www.lifeisjustducky.com/a-well-designed-duck-coop-to-make-your-life-easier/.
Don’t you need to secure it somehow? Seems like wind would tip it over or even move it away from the nest?
There is a lip that it sits in so it has never been a problem. If you have really hard winds, you should probably put up a windbreak anyway. This has really worked well for me. They are easy to clean and last…well, I’ve never had one wear out!
What size Tote did you use? Quarts or dimensions in inches would be helpful. Your link to Amazon is no longer valid.
Love the site!
Thank you for letting me know about the broken link. (I’ve fixed it) The dimensions are approximately 15″x18″x23″. It doesn’t have to be exact, but it needs to be large enough for the duck to get in and turn around. Happy duck keeping!
Hi Mary, I’ve had the same two ducks visiting my backyard 2 years in a row and have just put in a water bathing ponds one side deep about 16 inches and the other just 10 inches. They have really taken to the new area! I am planting tall grasses around the ponds and cleared a safe area for them to nest. Seeing your diy nesting box, I will do this. Question is, should I be placing feeder fish to keep the algae down and give them something to eat?? I’ve been giving them quality birdseed and oat mix, peas and corn tossed into the water, they really like bobbing for peas..lol Any advice for this animal lover would be appreciated. Thankyou, Carlie
Carlie,
Oh, that sounds like so much fun! As far as feeder fish, why not! I don’t know how much good they will do, but they will be fun to watch. And they probably will help keep mosquitoes down too.(a fountain would help that too) Check out my article on mosquitoes for ideas on plants that scare off mosquitoes. https://www.lifeisjustducky.com/get-rid-of-mosquitoes/
My son did the same idea for the nesting box ( he has 20 ducks and lives in the country)except it’s upright with lid on so you can just lift the lid off to gather eggs and check it out. You don’t have to reach in or lift up and disturb nest quite so much. I’m incubating eggs now and plan on starting my own backyard duck situation, ( living in town and planning on 4)I have found several of your ideas helpful. Doing my research ahead !
That’s a good idea. Thanks for your input.
Interesting! thanks
Thanks, It’s great to hear from you. Hey how is that chicken coop coming?