Things You'll Need:
- Weather-resistant wood
- Wood screws
- Lag bolts
- Mesh hardware cloth
- Post
- Galvanized steel
- Tools
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Step 1
Construct a box, roughly 15 inches tall, 8 inches wide, and 12 inches deep. The box should be attached to a wooden post or PVC pipe with lag bolts. Make the top of the box removable or hinged, to allow access for cleaning. Construct the box out of a weather-resistant wood, like cedar. Painting or staining the boxes exterior is OK, but leave the inside unpainted or treated.
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Step 2
The interior of the box should have a 3-inch layer of coarse sawdust at the bottom, and round 4-inch hole about two-thirds of the way up the front. On the interior of the box, attach a strip of mesh hardware cloth below the hole, so that ducklings can use it as a ladder.
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Step 3
Once the box is completed, place it on a post or pipe 4 feet above the ground or water. The post should be withing 30 to 100 feet of the edge of the water, with clear access (no fences or roads) between the nest and the water.
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Step 4
Build a 3-foot wide cone of galvanized metal and place it on the post, about 6 to 12 inches below the box and at least 36 inches above the ground. This prevents predators from raiding the nest.
