The Migratory/Ornamental Waterfowl INFO Thread

[Riffecreek]

I made a nest box out of a log that I think turned out good!! The wife thinks I went a little overboard on trying to keep stuff out, but better safe than sorry I say!! They'll get straw on the floor a couple inches deep.. deeper in the winter. Pen is 7' wide by 10' long with a 3 1/2 by 7 foot pond in the back of it.. Going to put a few plants in pots in there and some big creek rocks once the straw goes in this afternoon..


Log Nest box

The pool in their pen

 

[exoticduckluvr]

looks great Eric. I hope they make a safe trip and are very happy with you

 

[destinduck]

Cool house.

If its for your treeducks you might want to make the hole 6 in round.

 

[Riffecreek]

yea, thats the rough cut with a chainsaw. Router is next right after I get everything else ready as they should be here in the am (hopefully)... have to wait out the rain before I put the straw in..

 

[destinduck]

I also like the way you made your pond. Keep up the good work. Shawn

 

[kangababy]

Barrow's Goldeneye eggs and 1 little one

My best guess since they are in a raised wood duck box.. either Mandarins or woods

The little bitty ones are Quail, the duck eggs.. Take you pick! We have seen lot of things goign in an out of boxes from Widgeons, Hawaiians, teals!

A pretty spring day

just some updated pictures


and I am finally working on my webpage.... It is very much a work in progress

www.mhwaterfowlfarm.com

but will be fully up and running I hope within the month

 

[destinduck]

Yay. Mystery eggs

 

[kangababy]

Help needed in deciding what to do...
Ok I am slowly becoming overrun with Chicken, Turkey and Ducks eggs!! Wooh!!..

But I am not sure what to do with the Duck eggs... only alike 2 of my mandarin/wood ducks are setting but I hav enext with 15-20 eggs in them...

I know putting them in an incubator is out of the question so should I pull them and let my Silkie/cochins set on them because they have gone broody or shoudl I leave them and hope that someone will set on them?

Also I have one nest where she was setting on them but when I checked them last weekend because she was out of the box 2 or 3 of them was broken and I removed them because I did't want the ants getting in there after the eggs(happened last year) and now she isn't setting on them. Shoudl I remove this since ti has been over a week since she sat on them and give them to the chickens?


So far I half about 1/2 of my boxes (60+ between the raised wood ducks and ground boxes) with eggs in them... I know some are quail and the other are ducks. I think we had a few red golden pheasants but they have vanished....

Good News.. My Merganser is setting but now clue what she is on and my Goldeneye has laid 5 eggs so far though she is not setting yet...

If you can tell me what any of the eggs might look like for the follwoing breeds that would be great This is what I have: Tree Duck (White face, Black Bellie, Fulvous, Eyton), Ruddy Dukcs, Marbled Teal, Silver teal, Greenwing teal, Cape teal, Bahama pintail, NA pintail, Canvasback, Shovelers, Red Crested Pochards, Chiloe Widgeons, American Widegons, Buffleheads, Smew, Hottentot.. this is basically everything we have and hoping to have this year!! bring on the babies

 

[Dbreeder]

I have a question i have 1 pair of wood ducks that have been breeding since February and still breeding now when will i see some eggs?

 

[destinduck]

When an egg breaks, they bail. If the hens already setting you have to immediately put the eggs under a broody or after 10 days in an incubator. During breeding season with that many birds you have to write down dates. when the first egg, when hen start setting etc. There are some "dump nesters" . one of the hens will most of the time set (altough theres a window where you finally gotta stick em under a broody) At any time you can stick the eggs under a broody for that matter.