Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Wood Duck housing

Does anyone have the specs preferred by wood ducks for thier nest boxes.

I will get them and post up and may be able to send a you a box or two if you pay shipping.I DO WORK FOR A NON PROFIT water fowl organization and we do huge amounts of wood duck boxes and mallard nest. I would ask for a small donation which in turn would get you the boxes and a subscription to our news letter………..and its tax deductible! You would have to pay shipping on the boxes and I would send them disassembled for ease of transport.

Get ready for a deluge salth2ocowboy!
Post the details. I want one!

Also any chance of making them a little larger for the Black Bellied Whistling Ducks we get here in South Texas? They are very, very cramped in a wood duck box. Probably need an extra 3-4 inches in depth and width.

Sounds like a great deal for me and the ducks. We have a 5 - 6 very stretched out pond with 3 acres of it back in heavy woods. How many boxes and where to put them? Thanks for the help.

I spoke with one of my partners and we have something like 10 or 12 wood duck boxes left from this year. He will go to the post office and see what it will cost to ship. To join the wetland trust is 25.00 bucks that includes a wood duck box you pay shipping. I will let you know in a day or so.

I like to space them at least 50 yards apart facing toward the south. I put them on landscape timbers and then place a pvc pipe over the post and then grease the post as a predator guard.. Do not put them under low over hanging branches and if possible do not face the boxes towards each other as the drakes tend to fight while the hen is brooding if they can see into the opposing box. Many other birds will use them after nesting season small owls in particular. All of our boxes have wire for the ducklings to climb up to get out some boxes don’t and it is a death trap. I use cedar as bedding and I change it every spring.

There's a good Wood Duck nesting box article in one of the very recent PB mags....maybe earlier this year? Contact Cathy at PB HQ and grab a copy.
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We also kicked this one around on the Wetland development thread . All told, seriously consider the offer that salth20 has. Unless you just absolutely have to make them yourself in your own shop (a guy-thing), you will probably spend less $ and have more time to build fish structure stuff if you buy them out.
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Salth20....are they cedar?

salty, wetland trust search shows up as a UK thing, can you post info on non profit wetland organization here? i dont see why you should not and i bet you pick up some members even if the duck houses run out...

you east coasters have a stream and wetland assesmant and management park, SWAMP opening May2

http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/2007/04/wetland.ded.html

i am not sure if i like the stream improvement....looks like a sewer line....dont see any water slow down but its 14 acres so maybe other areas...

Wood duck box dimensions

The back is 34in long
The box its self is 12x12 x 21 in high attached to the 34in long back (back attaches to landscape timber)
The hole is a 3inx4 in oval cut near the top of the box. Overhang the roof by 2in.
Install ½ hardware cloth inside the box from the oval to the bottom of the box for the duckling ladder. I install a hinge on the side to change the bedding and inspect the box annually .
Susquehanna wet land trust and Susquehanna waterfowl association

I am at sea now but when I get home I will post some detailed pics and hardware list.

Marlcat check your email and get back to me.
Thanks