if i dnt have a body of water for my wood ducks,where will they roost?

[lcw1995]

i have 2 wood ducks. there ducklings. i think if i remeber they hatched on the 26th? not sure.
they are being raised in my coop by a broody cochin bantam hen. they are doing great, growing bigger everyday.
love chasing the flys around. anyway, im moving to my dads and we dnt have a coop. so were going to build a pen on the outside of the barn.
not sure how big, but pretty decent size. when they start flying, all my dad has is a little creek about 20 ft away from were the pen is going to be built.
question is.... if they dont learn to go into the pen at night.... were will they roost.?
theres a tree up the bank thats got pretty thick coverage in it.... will they roost in that.?

 

[toejam]

The wood ducks will leave more than likely if there isnt a pen surrounding them. 98% of the time they will leave. As for a body of water in the pen, just put a kiddie pool in there, it works great. if you have branches in the pen at various heights, they will roost there.

 

[lcw1995]

so, even if the hen raised them and it was like their mom... they will still leave... even though they can get feed there and everything?
its ok if they do, i dont want them to be unhappy in a pen. lol
thanks.

 

[KansasKid]

As soon as they get their flight feathers and start to fly around they will completely forget who there momma was and start flying off to places to check stuff out before one day they don't come back, just like in the wild. And there wood ducks, they can find food on there own without you providing it.

and its completely illegal to "let" them go when they will eventually fly off on there own "into the wild"
a single pair of wood ducks should live a great happy life in a 10x10 covered pen with a kiddie pool and some branches to perch on.

 

[lcw1995]

thanks man, i appreciate it.
i might just have to build them a pen if its illegal.
defiently dont want anything to do with that.
thanks,
cole.

 

[toejam]

Yep what kansasKid said.

The pen doesn't have to be huge. In kansasKids dig there is a link to aviary pics and ideas.I would check it out.