Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Wildlife Management Did Maintenance on Wood Duck Boxes Last Weekend

Completed the wood duck box maintenance last Friday/Saturday. Replaced 3 boxes with new ones and changed out the sawdust and shavings in the others. All but one had signs of hatches, one box was a dump box with 17 eggs in it yet. With the dirt work I've done the past couple years it opens up several areas for more boxes. I don't know if I'll get to putting up poles and additional boxes this winter but I'm planning to add at least 5 more boxes. Only complaint is the quality of the "free" boxes a local duck club gave me, I will keep building my own in the future. I should also get the box camera system I got during a Pond Boss Conference auction several years ago but that hasn't gotten done yet. Thanks.

Bryan

Thanks for the post Bryan! Nice to see the land around your ponds too (I assume these are posts mounted in shallow water?) I tried tree mounted boxes for 2 years and no luck and last year tried water mounted deck boxes in 2 areas (my pond and an adjacent swampy area) Saw wood ducks and on the swampy area they will hang out in the day but go to their nests presumably in the near by woods at night.

My post is a 2" PVC pipe. That adds safety from predators but I don't know if the white color throws the ducks off.

One question, what type wood shavings do I get and where do I source it? I'm told no cedar and prefer not pine so where does that leave me? I also am told pieces or shavings better than saw-'dust' so that sounds like I have to buy a bedding grade product?

what do wood ducks line their nests in in real life? moss? only their own feathers?

Nice houses and area. If mounting a duck house to a tree the tree needs to be in 1' or more of standing or flowing water to prevent predators from getting up the tree and in the house. If on land tree or post it really needs a predator guard.


Ya so - Sawdust is NOT recommended. Canyoncreek - just go get a couple Cubic Feet of cedar shaving (Pet dept) at Wally-World - that is cheapest easiest and best for the duck box's. Bag of cedar shavings in the pic...

Stressless, I did have my tree mounted deck huts protected by wrapping the tree below the hut with aluminum. My struggle was getting the duck houses to be used, secondary worry predators getting in them. I moved them to water mounts to see if ducks might feel safer. Probably just too many good old trees with natural holes in them in the area and the ducks feel more protected in the wooded areas compared to the open in my yard.

I'd be happy to use cedar chips, I just heard or read online that cedar was not preferred (or even not recommended?) I don't recall why but I agree, far easy for me to come by cedar chips/shavings as bagged bedding.

CC-
I think the chip vs the dust is the key issue. Chips don't tend to clump when the hen goes in and out of the box with her wet belly, vs saw dust which can and will over time. I've read about the concern for the cedar aroma being off putting for the hen, but all my boxes get used heavily and I've used cedar chips plenty over the years. **two cents laid on table**

I have 12 boxes up - 4 years now - just made 7 more to put up at the farm, every single one has been used using cedar chips and most have successful hatches. I can find cypress boards here in FL for fairly cheap and use that for my houses.

We had a couple wood ducks around before I put up the houses, figure at 6 new ducks per successful hatch over 4 years and 12 boxes that's around 200 ducks that come back looking for a nest site - to that end - I am hopeful that you're houses get used and you can enjoy them!

I just never expected to see the results I got putting them up and maintaining them correctly as this video shows... such cool critters. Best of Luck!

[video:youtube][/video]

Thanks for the encouragement and the video! I don't plan to give up!

I wondered, when the ducks jump out into the water, I hear they don't hang out by the pond but tend to disappear right away. Can they fly? Where do they go and how do they survive on the forest floor the first few days?

Also in your video you have a feeder set up. What is the magic food that brings them coming? Maybe I can 'chum' for Wood Duck?

Most of my boxes have been placed in 4’ - 5’ of water. I’ve always used bedding shavings, picked it up at Family Farm & Home this year. We have noted several wood ducks nesting in trees here as well, last year we had a pair pileated woodpeckers nest it an open tree cavity too. Thanks.

Bryan

ConoynCreel - spread cracked yellow acorns...

With all my cameras and watching - I haven't seen a "brood" following mama duck around any of the ponds... I'm just not sure where they go, but in the fall every pond holds many ducks which makes for great jump shooting. I only spread the cracked yellow acorns in the spring when they need that energy.