Wood duck houses

[H20fwler]

I wish I would have posted this earlier as I got them a bit cheaper(on sale...7% off) but still a decent deal for redwood houses- $59.99. Get 2 or more and there's free shipping. Planned to make some myself over the winter but things got in the way. Other places are more expensive even just pine and then the shipping
Maybe they'll be on sale after the summer again.

Wood Duck House, Redwood

Buy Wood Duck House, Redwood at Mann Lake. Best & Biggest Beekeeping Supplier - Best Service.

www.mannlakeltd.com

Edit: I forgot to mention there's a $10 off{$100 or more) offer that pops up on the site. Mentioned elsewhere if you don't get one.

I ordered one of them last week for the new pond when I saw your post. Was cheaper than buying cedar and building one right now.

Was smaller than I expected but built really well. Still should have more room than a capsule style..I’ll give it a couple years and see if they use it?
Got it up this afternoon.

 

[Tamarack]

Looking good..what kind of a post is that? Looks like those I've seen for some street signs.
I have some cedar houses from Fleet Farm that are a bit smaller even. I'm guessing even those are bigger than a lot of homes they find in trees!

 

[H20fwler]

Looking good..what kind of a post is that? Looks like those I've seen for some street signs.
I have some cedar houses from Fleet Farm that are a bit smaller even. I'm guessing even those are bigger than a lot of homes they find in trees!

It’s a stop sign post 8’. Those are nice and heavy with pre drilled holes every two inches. Had a buddy that worked for the county that used to get them for me, had to get that one online.

My other wood nest boxes are 24” tall and 12” square inside and usually get used two or three times a year. This one is in a different location on a new deep pond two miles from the river.

 

[Tamarack]

This place has some even smaller ones...talk about being better to prevent dumping or too much dumping. I don't know if the ducks count them or what.
I put one of the smallest/cheapest ones in the cart and shipping for 1 was $11.99. Two is free shipping.

https://www.wildbirdstoreonline.com/collections/wood-duck-boxes

 

[Tamarack]

They started checking things out today.

 

[Tamarack]

 

[Tree Spud]

I ordered one of them last week for the new pond when I saw your post. Was cheaper than buying cedar and building one right now.

Was smaller than I expected but built really well. Still should have more room than a capsule style..I’ll give it a couple years and see if they use it?
Got it up this afternoon.

View attachment 42046

I like the stove pipe guard...simple and no fooling around with trying to cut sheet metal.

 

[Tamarack]

 

[TreeDaddy]

Always love the pics in this thread

keep em coming

bill

 

[H20fwler]

I like seeing them using the new boxes!

 

[Tamarack]

The pics would be a bit better off the cards, and I'll probably move a couple cams for better angles/shots. But it's nice just to have proof the houses are being used.

 

[b116757]

Guys

I’ve not done anything with wood duck houses but quite a bit with bluebird houses I would suggest a sloped front on the box to make it easier for the fledglings to leave. I’ve had higher success rates, much less dead fledglings still in boxes come cleaning time with this design. I usually use my table saw and cut shallow lines across the front panel below the entrance hole for traction but the 1/4” mesh is probably as good an idea. Nothing is more discouraging than cleaning out a box and finding dead babies that couldn’t get out.

 

[OakSeeds]

It’s a stop sign post 8’. Those are nice and heavy with pre drilled holes every two inches. Had a buddy that worked for the county that used to get them for me, had to get that one online.
My other wood nest boxes are 24” tall and 12” square inside and usually get used two or three times a year. This one is in a different location on a new deep pond two miles from the river.

In any community of 50k or more residents, there will be a city, township or county highway department that replaces bent or knocked down metal Telspar sign posts (not many use wood anymore).
If you ask nicely, and indicate they are for a waterfowl nesting project, they may give you a few of the damaged posts. They are drilled on all 4 sides on 1-inch centers throughout the length of the post; very convenient. They come in 3 sizes and can be used in tandem; make a post of almost any length. I have used them for a variety of purposes. Good luck

 

[TreeDaddy]

View attachment 42342Guys

I’ve not done anything with wood duck houses but quite a bit with bluebird houses I would suggest a sloped front on the box to make it easier for the fledglings to leave. I’ve had higher success rates, much less dead fledglings still in boxes come cleaning time with this design. I usually use my table saw and cut shallow lines across the front panel below the entrance hole for traction but the 1/4” mesh is probably as good an idea. Nothing is more discouraging than cleaning out a box and finding dead babies that couldn’t get out.

Timely post from my view!!

Putting up 6 of these this weekend

bill

 

[Tamarack]

Tried a HD picture download and 10 sec video clip.

 

[b116757]

Tried a HD picture download and 10 sec video clip.

That’s cool

 

[H20fwler]

In any community of 50k or more residents, there will be a city, township or county highway department that replaces bent or knocked down metal Telspar sign posts (not many use wood anymore).
If you ask nicely, and indicate they are for a waterfowl nesting project, they may give you a few of the damaged posts. They are drilled on all 4 sides on 1-inch centers throughout the length of the post; very convenient. They come in 3 sizes and can be used in tandem; make a post of almost any length. I have used them for a variety of purposes. Good luck

That's how I got most of my stop sign posts from a buddy with the county, those were more U shaped hard metal. This last one that I had to get online was about $50 shipped and I was OK with that being one less thing for my wife to complain about "that pole is old and rusty in our new pond".... so it was worth it.

Those break away ones like that are what our county is going to now, I have used a few of them along the river and in our vernal pool in the woods. They are softer metal and mushroom while pounding them in harder ground or if I hit a tree root.

 

[H20fwler]

View attachment 42342Guys

I’ve not done anything with wood duck houses but quite a bit with bluebird houses I would suggest a sloped front on the box to make it easier for the fledglings to leave. I’ve had higher success rates, much less dead fledglings still in boxes come cleaning time with this design. I usually use my table saw and cut shallow lines across the front panel below the entrance hole for traction but the 1/4” mesh is probably as good an idea. Nothing is more discouraging than cleaning out a box and finding dead babies that couldn’t get out.

My wife's favorite bird! We have about a dozen of them out, about half get used by tree swallows. We have the box style ones. I need to get three more for around the new pond, I might try out the sloped ones. Thanks!

 

[OakSeeds]

Invert this photo so the larger size is on top of the smaller size I intend to drive into ground

Those break away ones like that are what our county is going to now, I have used a few of them along the river and in our vernal pool in the woods. They are softer metal and mushroom while pounding them in harder ground or if I hit a tree root.

Happy to share how I avoid the shrooming effect.; I use 2 of the 3 sizes available. Mostly, I use the smallest size for most applications; I bolt a 16-inch piece of the middle size onto the smaller size post I intend to drive into the ground (see text to the right of photo above). Then I bolt a 3.5-foot section -"pounder" -into the top of the larger size and pound away with my custom post driver (It's green and laying on the ground in picture above ... post on rear left has "pounder" attached to it). Look closely and you can see the bolts holding the "sleeve" section in place with my "pounder' section of pipe attached to the top portion of the sleeve.
P.S. Mushrooming isn't much of a problem with my big arse post driver!

 

[fishin coyote]

Tamarack, Nice pics and video. What is living in the holes on the bank?