Hen Houses

[Nershi]

What are the use rates for hen houses? I've seen hawks and various song birds use them but never a duck.

The use rates on my wood duck houses is pretty high. I've never crunched the numbers but I would bet it is close to 50%. I'm curious how hen houses compare.

It would be interesting to see how long they can stretch the $36,000 for maintenance costs. This isn't a very good investment if they won't be able to maintain them for several years down the road. It seems like most hen houses have short lives due to the maintenance factor. Where as a wood duck box will continue to get used (albeit probably on a lower %) if they do not get maintained.

[lanyard]

Baily, do you have a link you can post to the full article? Might be some better details in there.

[lanyard]

I don't see predator control as the answer. Sure it works well but there aren't the resources to do it on a mass scale to have a substantial impact IMO.

Funniest thing, the ones that don't die tend to make more.

There's this thing called carrying capacity. It's why some years you see more twin fawns than other years, why carp populations can rebound super quick then slow reproduction, etc. Every species is trying to maximize it's environment.

Predator control will increase duck hatching for some period of time, but eventually it will reach a balance and be essentially ineffective.

[Bailey]

Baily, do you have a link you can post to the full article? Might be some better details in there.

Latest delta waterfowl. I have the actual magazine.

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[tornadochaser]

Fowler your numbers are off on grassland nesting densities and the cost of seeding grass & "pulling tile.". First off, the state of MN or usfws probably wouldn't buy a tiled section at market cost. The land cost would be appropriately higher vs. Buying a non tile section. The only way they would buy would be proximity to existing habitat and or negotiating a price with a willing land owner. Bang for your buck and all that...second, your one nest per 40 acres seems low in regards to nesting density, as that might be an appropriate density for mallards, but different species nest at different times, and a hen mallard won't get very territorial with teal, pintail, etc.

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[Quack]

The question Delta hasn't been able to answer is "what about brood survival?"

If nest success goes through the roof in trapped and hen house areas, shouldn't all these "extra" hens return the following spring to nest in the same area they hatched, just as "normal" hens have done for eons? Or are "extra" ducks somehow programmed not to return to their natal areas? Or are they more susceptible to hunters? Or do they just get eaten as ducklings instead of eggs?

[Trigger]

Hen houses are a great project for 10 year old boyscouts. Not a legitimate replacement for breeding habitat. We would need millions of them to make any significant impact, but I guarantee we don't have the people who have the desire to do the upkeep on them.

[h2ofwlr]

Hen houses are a great project for 10 year old boyscouts. Not a legitimate replacement for breeding habitat. We would need millions of them to make any significant impact, but I guarantee we don't have the people who have the desire to do the upkeep on them.

A 100,00 would have an impact... just saying.

As for the people not doing the maintenance - spot on. I loathe the leaders of the Boy Scouts as they put them up on trees and never maintain the Woodie boxes. Notice I said the leadesr--not the kids. The ADULTS are to blame with no follow through--so what ARE they really teaching the kids?

your one nest per 40 acres seems low in regards to nesting density, as that might be an appropriate density for mallards, but different species nest at different times, and a hen mallard won't get very territorial with teal, pintail, etc.

Well if you had paid attention and actually read what I wrote, I said it was for Mallards (remember the topic was mallards, eh?) and I also mentioned the benefits for other ducks and wildlife too on having habitat.

What are the use rates for hen houses? I've seen hawks and various song birds use them but never a duck.
The use rates on my wood duck houses is pretty high. I've never crunched the numbers but I would bet it is close to 50%. I'm curious how hen houses compare.

Well if had read what I wrote on the 1st page, I covered the usage rates for ND, W MN and west metro.
Funny that I've rarely had a song bird nest in a MHN. I never had a hawk or raptor nest in one of my MHN. Just saying...
50% is actually medium average for usage on WDB from my experience - but it really depends on the surrounding habitat or the lack there of, placement, etc... I have a 70% use rate which is medium, anything over 80% is considered high usage.
And usage is also about are you where they are? Meaning there is a 115% usage of MHN in ND due to back to back nesting by Mallards as there is a high density of Mallards there. W MN is closer to 80% for MHN. Where as here in the W metro, we just do not have the Mallard population numbers, thus a lower usage of 65-70%. This principle can be used for Woodies too. I've heard repeatedly that in the Northern pine tree country of low usage of WDB by Woodies. Where as in the central MN area in the hardwoods, I hear 80+% which is one of their main breeding areas in the US. So if the Woodies or Mallards are not present, it does not matter how many boxes or nests you put out as many are just not going to get used if they are not there. In comparison to a friend of mine that runs over 150 WDB in the west metro, I have a higher % of use because he has a higher density of boxes. I have a lower density of boxes per acre which translates into a higher use.
So there are variables in all this when it comes to usage.

[Bailey]

Hen houses are a great project for 10 year old boyscouts. Not a legitimate replacement for breeding habitat. We would need millions of them to make any significant impact, but I guarantee we don't have the people who have the desire to do the upkeep on them.

Yeah but if you buy up a parcel of land and you have 10% nest success due to predators that's really not doing much good either.

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[Nershi]

What are the use rates for hen houses? I've seen hawks and various song birds use them but never a duck.
The use rates on my wood duck houses is pretty high. I've never crunched the numbers but I would bet it is close to 50%. I'm curious how hen houses compare.

Well if had read what I wrote on the 1st page, I covered the usage rates for ND, W MN and west metro.
Funny that I've rarely had a song bird nest in a MHN. I never had a hawk or raptor nest in one of my MHN. Just saying....

I thought those numbers were for wood duck boxes. My mistake. No way it is even remotely close to 80% use rates that you mentioned in your previous post.

You've never had a hawk or song bird nest in yours so it must never happen huh Al? We had a hen house and maintained it for ten years. It was used every year but two years but it was never used by a duck.

Bottom line is hen houses are not a practical way to increase duck production in the long run. It's only benefit is making people feel warm and fuzzy after putting them up.