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New Wood Duck boxes #6462136
02/15/19 12:55 PM
02/15/19 12:55 PM
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,220
SE NEBRASKA
NebrCatMan Offline OP
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NebrCatMan  Offline OP
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Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,220
SE NEBRASKA
Seems to be a lot of wood duck junkies on T Man. So I am seeking some input. I have always made my nesting boxes out of 12" boards. Many plans on the Webb say 10" boards will do. Gonna build some more and since 10" boards are cheaper I may go that route. Any comments on using 10" vs 12" wide boards. Thanks


Remember "Forbidden Fruit makes many Jams"
Re: New Wood Duck boxes [Re: NebrCatMan] #6462159
02/15/19 01:21 PM
02/15/19 01:21 PM
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 10,308
MT
S
snowy Offline
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snowy  Offline
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Posts: 10,308
MT
I like them larger (12") but can't imagine why 10" wouldn't work. Not sure what kind of wood you r using but could you nail or screw on a few more inches of wood on to make it 12"? It might not cost you any more and can be any type of wood, does that make sense?? Unless you r looking for beauty instead of a useable house. JM2cents


Give me a fish, I will eat for a day. Teach me to fish, I will eat for a lifetime
Re: New Wood Duck boxes [Re: NebrCatMan] #6462165
02/15/19 01:32 PM
02/15/19 01:32 PM
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 7,300
minnesota
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goldy Offline
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goldy  Offline
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minnesota
I've made a lot of houses out of discarded 2 x 8's, which are actually 7 1/2" wide. I make them longer, usually about 10" long, but the ducks use them readily. One guy I know of that made hundreds of houses, experimented and thought they actually preferred the smaller houses over larger ones. He made a lot of houses 8 X 8, in fact that was how he made all his houses at the end.
http://www.woodducksociety.com/WDHouse.pdf

Last edited by goldy; 02/15/19 01:35 PM.

"They that can give up essential liberty to gain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety" Ben Franklin talking about guns
Re: New Wood Duck boxes [Re: NebrCatMan] #6462227
02/15/19 02:23 PM
02/15/19 02:23 PM
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,220
SE NEBRASKA
NebrCatMan Offline OP
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NebrCatMan  Offline OP
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Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,220
SE NEBRASKA
Thanks guys.....I made original boxes out of old barn boards. Weathered and rustic and cheap. But for the ones I've been giving away and also selling a few I just use new 1 X 12s usually from Menards although a local lumber yard is pretty close in price sometimes. My son lives in Lincoln so when I go see his family I just head to Menards and stock up. I am going to try several boxes this spring with 1 X 10" boards. Should get them built for around $10 each.... plus a little water sealer or lite spray paint.


Remember "Forbidden Fruit makes many Jams"
Re: New Wood Duck boxes [Re: NebrCatMan] #6462259
02/15/19 03:06 PM
02/15/19 03:06 PM
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 7,300
minnesota
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goldy Offline
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minnesota
One mistake I've noticed a lot of people make when making their duck houses is they don't make their tops so it seals off water from getting in. In other words the top doesn't completely cover the top of the house, so water is able to run into the house through seams, usually at the back of the house. This is bad because the bedding becomes saturated with rain and then excess moisture gets transfered to the eggs resulting in some or all eggs not harching. Also, you want the house sides to be 1/4" to 1/2" shorter at the top than the front and back so heat can escape the inside of the house. If you don't do this overheating can occur and the hen can die

Last edited by goldy; 02/15/19 05:01 PM.

"They that can give up essential liberty to gain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety" Ben Franklin talking about guns
Re: New Wood Duck boxes [Re: NebrCatMan] #6462390
02/15/19 05:45 PM
02/15/19 05:45 PM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,113
Manitoba
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Northof50 Offline
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Northof50  Offline
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Manitoba
To add to some of Goldy's comments is to run a drip line underneath the roof cover and at an angle. So a drip line is just a SMAll saw cut 1/4 inch deep underneath that the back curl water forms on and travrels down and drips off and not into the boxes inside. Every morning the dew melts and follows this down and out.
Studies have shown that smaller boxes dictatates cluch size so the female does not keep putting out eggs with less protein in the last so the chick have less survival rate in the end.
7x7 was the rate size for the best chick to survival rate.

Re: New Wood Duck boxes [Re: Northof50] #6462417
02/15/19 06:16 PM
02/15/19 06:16 PM
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 750
Minn.
StatelineRunner Offline
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StatelineRunner  Offline
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Posts: 750
Minn.
I cut a three tab shingle in three. Cut them as you would starting a roof. Cut the tab of the first for a starter then the whole one trimmed to fit, the tab goes on the top. A roofing nail on each side you should have a 1/2 to 3/4 inch overhang all around.

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