feeding wild ducks

[Shadow]

We have a male and female wood duck visiting our pond and I would like to feed them so they would stay around the pond more. I thought corn but not sure. Thanks for your help. David

[RonM]

Corn usually works, dont use soybeans as they swell up once eaten and could kill the ducks...

[uncle Will in In.]

A nest box will keep them there better than food. Get a wooden box about 7 or 8 inches square and at least a foot tall. Cut a 4 or 5 inch diameter hole in the middle of one side. Fasten it to the trunk of a tree near the pond if you have one. Put it about 10 or 12 feet high. Put a little sawdust in the bottom of it. Not very much. When you see the drake setting on a limb and the hen missing, they are making babies. When they hatch, the hen will stand on the ground and call the babies. They will get up to the hole in the box and tumble to the ground. When she gets them all on the ground, they take off walking for the water. We had a hen nest in a box about 20 feet from the back door a few years ago. They are beautiful.

[Paumon]

I second Uncle Will's suggestion. A nesting box in a tree may be a better attractor. If you put food out for them it may attract other larger and more aggressive ducks that will chase away the wood ducks. Wood ducks are timid little fellows.

[chestnut]

I have a corn feeder at my pond and while I'm typing this there are 9 wood ducks 2 mallards and too many squirrels at it. Corn works good!!

[jross]

I scatter 4 lbs corn over 3 acres around our vernal pond each day. I get a walk, all the creatures get some corn. The wood ducks are comical as they run around getting the corn. Everybody gets something, the deer, turkeys, birds..etc, but not enough to become too dependent.