Nesting

[DuckDodgers]

Last spring I had 3 nest boxes up in my wood duck pen. 2 where about 6ft off the ground an one was about 2ft off the ground. My female never checked them out. They are kept in an 8ft tall pen with perches as tall as 7ft. They never really perch above 3ft. Is there a way I can make the nestboxes more appealing to them?

 

[Dr. Todd]

Without knowing anything about your birds, facility, diet, husbandry, etc., all I can say is that there are many variables that could prevent your birds from breeding. Nest boxes are most likely not the problem.

 

[DuckDodgers]

Without knowing anything about your birds, facility, diet, husbandry, etc., all I can say is that there are many variables that could prevent your birds from breeding. Nest boxes are most likely not the problem.

OK well hmmm. As for the facility they live in an 8ft tall pen that is 10ft by 14ft. It has a dead pine tree in there for them to perch on. They have various other perches. I have a big baby pool in the ground for them. As for their diet the eat Mazuri feed. They are very skidish and freakout when I enter the pen.

 

[Dr. Todd]

Do you have photos you could post? That would be helpful for identifying potential problems with the set up that could be hindering breeding.

Diet sounds fine, though you might want to offer lettuce and millet in the water as a treat. This will also encourage the birds to associate you with food instead of a threat. How old are the birds and where did you get them?

 

[DuckDodgers]

Do you have photos you could post? That would be helpful for identifying potential problems with the set up that could be hindering breeding.

Diet sounds fine, though you might want to offer lettuce and millet in the water as a treat. This will also encourage the birds to associate you with food instead of a threat. How old are the birds and where did you get them?

I will try to get pictures tomorrow. And I will definitely try the lettuce and Millet. The birds I believe are going to be 2 this fall, I got them from Mallard Lane Farms as yearlings last year.

 

[JJRS]

They don't always nest first year.

 

[duckmanjim]

My experience is woodies are very particular and you must offer them 3-4 options for nesting which youve done but also the direction the hole is facing can impact them! A hole facing west i found wasnt appealing! North and east facing holes worked best for me. I also think they likely will breed next year as they sometimes dont their first year!