A Simple Project with a Big Impact: Building Mallard Hen Houses

Last year, before the first flock of ducks ever hit the decoys, we spent time in the marsh doing something just as important as the hunt itself, conservation. With our friends from Boss Shotshells by our side, we built mallard hen houses. These simple nesting structures are one of the most effective ways hunters can help sustain duck populations for generations to come. Each hen house provides a safe, dry place for a mallard to lay her eggs, away from predators and rising water. It is a hands on project that connects hunters to the bigger picture, the cycle of life we take part in every season.  What’s a hen house and why do they matter? A hen house, also called a mallard nesting tube, is a rolled cylinder of welded wire and straw mounted horizontally over water on a post. By lifting a hen’s nest above the reach of most mammalian predators and keeping it dry through spring storms, hen houses dramatically improve nest success for mallards. In places where ground nests may succeed less than 10 percent of the time, properly placed hen houses often boost success to 60 to 80 percent, well above the 15 percent needed just to maintain populations.  How hen houses help mallards Predator avoidance: Elevation over water makes eggs and hens harder targets for raccoons, skunks, foxes, and mink. Weather protection: The double roll of straw sheds rain and helps keep the nest warm and dry through cold snaps. Early nesting opportunity: Secure, dry nest sites encourage earlier attempts, and hens will often reuse successful spots in following years. Cost effective conservation: Large clusters of hen houses produce a lot of ducklings for modest materials and volunteer time.  Fun facts about mallards and nesting Typical clutch size is 1 to 13 eggs, and incubation lasts about 23 to 30 days. Ducklings are ready to leave the nest within about 13 to 16 hours after hatching, often early in the morning, and the hen leads them to water. If a nest fails, mallards commonly re nest, and some hens have been documented making multiple attempts in a single season. Both urban and wild mallards readily use artificial nesting structures, another reason hen houses work in so many places.

  Build one step by step Skill level: Basic shop skills such as cutting, drilling, and hog ringing Best timing: Late winter through early spring before nesting starts Safety: Wear gloves and eye protection, use a life jacket and proper ice safety if installing over frozen water, and never service or move an active nest with eggs or chicks without proper permits.