Nests

For a breeder the most important period of every year is “Reproductive Season”. In that extremely flimsy period breeder has to put reproductive pairs in the best possible conditions. The process starts in February and finishes in June. Breeder has to be ready to set problems right and always focused on his breeding farm searching, every day, good choices and to look after every single details for the perfect well-being of all animals. In according to help who is keen as us, we’ve decided to examine broods where animals lay their eggs. In the matter of doves, broods are inside a something similar to a multi-level shelf where we can easily clean and disinfect. Within every brood (obviously double) there is a plastic or earthenware vase which is full of sand. These brood must be cleaned from straws, branches or grasses because they are all bearer of parasitic worms and pollens. It is advisable to put some pine needles on the ground of these particular “shelf” because later dove brings them and it starts to build nest. In the matter of ducks, not all breeds need the same type of nest. Breeds as Northern Pintail (Anas Acuta) or Northern Shoveler (Anas Clypeata) nest on the ground. They prepare their nest with leafage, grasses and straws in order to create their perfect habitat inside thick and dark hedges. Other ducks as Black East Indian or Call Duck prefer wood chests or also simple baskets. Finally, as you can see in pictures, other breeds prefer to nest inside some cavities or holes because they feel themselves more repaired. It is important that the nest can be controlled from the top because in this way we can immediately help ducklings after their birth. In all nests, straw is fundamental and it must be bring by breeder from January. Finally there are geese. They need very big broods (80 cm x 80 cm about) that contain too much straw but without a real paving because many geese breeds prefer to create their nest in contact with the ground. Nest building must be simple and repaired. When geese pairs start laying eggs, they become aggressive and protective so it is suitable to fence them in a special area far from other breeds. It is also very important, both for ducks and geese, that nests are covered with hedges or old branches in order to make pair fell safe and repaired by possible predators.