Duck diets/forage
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Duck diets/forage
At our club, I have some areas that flood in the winter that I would like to plant in trees. In regard to food in flooded timber, what are the best trees to plant in order to produce food for wintering ducks?
- mississippi_duc_htr
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Duck diets/forage
If I had too pickone I would say water oak would be the one too plant.
Duck diets/forage
Corn trees seem to do farely well....produce every year!!!! [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
Duck diets/forage
You got to match species with the site SS. Nuttal oak and Willow oaks match well with many Delta sites. At my camp we have one small flat with water oaks on it. It seems to be more on a higher site. I see you are from Memphis. If your hunting around Tunica I have seen water oaks grow in areas up there near the river. It all depends on where you are. For example in my area of the Delta you usually wont see many or any cherrybarks. I have worked on a camp in Webb, MS where they were plentiful. Best bet is to get a forester to assist you if it is cost effective. Or for small scale just find an area forester or biologist and they will probablly give you some good recommendations.
Duck diets/forage
i read where the suddeny popular saw-tooth oak can handle flooding during their dormant months... don't take that too the bank... i would have to see it to believe it...
judge jb
judge jb
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Duck diets/forage
why would you put a duck on a diet? i like the boys as fat as possible... [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
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Duck diets/forage
We've got low delta buckshot ground. I've heard that nutall acorns are large. Are they too large for the ducks to swallow or are they ok? How popular are Pin Oaks?
Duck diets/forage
SS the pin oaks are similar to the nutall. I dont know about their acorn size, I was just cruising them. They probably will work in your area. Nuttals start phasing out the farther North you go and pin oaks will pick up that niche. I have seen the species mixed in Lodge Corner, Ar.
The acorn of a nuttal is kinda large but I believe ducks will still consume it. It isn't the most preffered b/c of its size but may still be usable.
SB could answer that question see about sending him a pm.
The acorn of a nuttal is kinda large but I believe ducks will still consume it. It isn't the most preffered b/c of its size but may still be usable.
SB could answer that question see about sending him a pm.
Duck diets/forage
Nuttall acorns are relished by mallards, but are quite a bit larger than water, willow and cherrybark oaks. Nuttall seedlings have tremendously hardy root systems compared to the other oaks as well, making post-plant survival generally better. Based on personal involvement with alot of the restoration effort going on in teh delta, it's pretty safe to say that Nuttall oak is by and large the oak species of choice in the delta, accounting for no less than 50% of all seedlings planted by every private and government agency in the delta annually for these reasons! Couple of questions - how low is the site and how long does water stand? If your talking Sharkey or Alligator soil types and the water will usually be off before cessation of tree dormancy, go with a mix heavy to nuttall with some water and willow oaks. If the water usually stays on real late - into April or May - you might have to back off and plant Overcup or even baldcypress. If there are trees on adjacent but comparable sites, check em out. Buy only the very best seedlings. And there's nothing wrong with planting other site suitable, non oak species as well, especially if there's not a source for wind or water dissemination on the site: some research from State suggests that southern red oak species may actually grow better and have better stem form while under a light canopy of faster growing species and part of the attraction to flooded greentimber is the copious amount of invertebrates found in teh leaf litter.
There are several good local nurseries - State Nursery in Winona, Fratesi above Leland, Yarborough in Merigold, and Delta View in Leland (Fratesi grows a helluva great seedling) - but you better book your order early, as in now, to assure they'll be there this winter. Nuttall oak in particular is in high demand these days. Good luck and best regards.
There are several good local nurseries - State Nursery in Winona, Fratesi above Leland, Yarborough in Merigold, and Delta View in Leland (Fratesi grows a helluva great seedling) - but you better book your order early, as in now, to assure they'll be there this winter. Nuttall oak in particular is in high demand these days. Good luck and best regards.
Duck diets/forage
Double R looking at your profile I see you are a reg. forester and a biologist. If you dont mind me asking who do you work for or do you have your own consulting company.
Duck diets/forage
Planting trees for "duck food".....
1. the invertebrate substrate provided by leaf litter in a bottomland hardwood forest is very important in a puddle duck's foraging
habitat. Acorns alone are not the only part of the picture.
2. any trees that you plant for acorn production will not "normally" produce acorns (in quantity) until the age of 20-25 years. Your grandchildren may benefit from your efforts in this regard.
3. there are several government programs that are currently planting bottomland hardwood trees in the delta.....the vertical structure afforded by trees is the objective of these programs along with future acorn production. Many species of wildlife benefit from this vertical structure (migrant songbirds in particular and waterfowl for the courtship and pair bonding opportunities).
4. Acorn size...Nuttall Oak...south of Memphis, TN the acorns run 80-90 per pound; north of Memphis, TN to the KY state line the acorns run smaller 110-120 per pound. Either size will fit into a mallard duck just fine...MS State U...has published work on hand feeding acorns of different oak species to wild strain mallards and wood ducks...Nuttall oaks are highly preferred...but the other oaks (willow & water are important too).
5. matching species to site....the most important part....e-mail me or Double R and we can give you some more "free" advice...ACORNMAN
1. the invertebrate substrate provided by leaf litter in a bottomland hardwood forest is very important in a puddle duck's foraging
habitat. Acorns alone are not the only part of the picture.
2. any trees that you plant for acorn production will not "normally" produce acorns (in quantity) until the age of 20-25 years. Your grandchildren may benefit from your efforts in this regard.
3. there are several government programs that are currently planting bottomland hardwood trees in the delta.....the vertical structure afforded by trees is the objective of these programs along with future acorn production. Many species of wildlife benefit from this vertical structure (migrant songbirds in particular and waterfowl for the courtship and pair bonding opportunities).
4. Acorn size...Nuttall Oak...south of Memphis, TN the acorns run 80-90 per pound; north of Memphis, TN to the KY state line the acorns run smaller 110-120 per pound. Either size will fit into a mallard duck just fine...MS State U...has published work on hand feeding acorns of different oak species to wild strain mallards and wood ducks...Nuttall oaks are highly preferred...but the other oaks (willow & water are important too).
5. matching species to site....the most important part....e-mail me or Double R and we can give you some more "free" advice...ACORNMAN
Duck diets/forage
Good takes from Double R and Acornman...
I too have planted 1000s of acres of trees in the Delta and will tell you from experience that Nutalls are far and way the most hardy of the oak species when planting on cropland...Water oaks and Cherrybarks in particular dont seem to withstand drought in ag fields very well...
In fact, we now plant only 3 species of trees on our land whenever possible- Nutall, Green Ash and Baldcypress- because these species are good for wildlife, good for timber and they grow...
The government usually makes CRP/WRP landowners use additional species so we will mix those in if they make us, but I dont really believe in it...
The original question was about planting in existing woods and that is something I have done with Nutall only...For example, some of the land we buy has been highgraded over a period of years to the point where there is little desirable timber left...When we buy such a tract, we reforest it with Nutall immediately and then 3 or 4 years later we cut it hard, leaving a few seed trees or even taking everything out if it is in really bad shape...Believe it or not you can run a skidder over those 3 and 4 year old seedlings with no problem...
A couple of things to consider...A- Beavers could be a problem B- You might want to just lift some seedlings from your woods rather than buy them from a nursery since the fertilizer used in the nurseries makes the seedlings highly prized by deer...Deer munching on your seedlings means it will take even longer to get acorns...C-Sawtooth will not work...D-Jap Millet is cheap and works well...
Good luck!
I too have planted 1000s of acres of trees in the Delta and will tell you from experience that Nutalls are far and way the most hardy of the oak species when planting on cropland...Water oaks and Cherrybarks in particular dont seem to withstand drought in ag fields very well...
In fact, we now plant only 3 species of trees on our land whenever possible- Nutall, Green Ash and Baldcypress- because these species are good for wildlife, good for timber and they grow...
The government usually makes CRP/WRP landowners use additional species so we will mix those in if they make us, but I dont really believe in it...
The original question was about planting in existing woods and that is something I have done with Nutall only...For example, some of the land we buy has been highgraded over a period of years to the point where there is little desirable timber left...When we buy such a tract, we reforest it with Nutall immediately and then 3 or 4 years later we cut it hard, leaving a few seed trees or even taking everything out if it is in really bad shape...Believe it or not you can run a skidder over those 3 and 4 year old seedlings with no problem...
A couple of things to consider...A- Beavers could be a problem B- You might want to just lift some seedlings from your woods rather than buy them from a nursery since the fertilizer used in the nurseries makes the seedlings highly prized by deer...Deer munching on your seedlings means it will take even longer to get acorns...C-Sawtooth will not work...D-Jap Millet is cheap and works well...
Good luck!
Duck diets/forage
Sorry for the second posting....but it is hard to get it all in one answer.
Hammer offered very good advice..
1. On Delta National Forest, there is one planted hardwood tract (Nuttall, green ash, cypress - mainly 3 species)that is about 20 years old; it was planted with seedlings dug up about 1 mile away on Delta National land. There is a lot to be said for using local source seedlings....nuff said
2. Heavily fertilized seedlings from nurseries can (and do) attract cotton rats and deer like magnets. This is the "risk" part of bottomland hardwood reforestation, but the problem is different on every site. On small areas (or high value trees), plastic tree shelters are an option.
3. I am very particular about planting cherrybark oak, Shumard oak, and cow oak on a site...I have to know the soils and the flooding regime really well before I will chance it. Nuttall oak is a tough tree.
4. I have been fortunate enough, in my line of work, to plant 20,000 acres of trees (bottomland hardwood)in MS; I will be glad to show you the results in the field. It is a combination of luck and science....the science part helps the luck kick in ....acornman
Hammer offered very good advice..
1. On Delta National Forest, there is one planted hardwood tract (Nuttall, green ash, cypress - mainly 3 species)that is about 20 years old; it was planted with seedlings dug up about 1 mile away on Delta National land. There is a lot to be said for using local source seedlings....nuff said
2. Heavily fertilized seedlings from nurseries can (and do) attract cotton rats and deer like magnets. This is the "risk" part of bottomland hardwood reforestation, but the problem is different on every site. On small areas (or high value trees), plastic tree shelters are an option.
3. I am very particular about planting cherrybark oak, Shumard oak, and cow oak on a site...I have to know the soils and the flooding regime really well before I will chance it. Nuttall oak is a tough tree.
4. I have been fortunate enough, in my line of work, to plant 20,000 acres of trees (bottomland hardwood)in MS; I will be glad to show you the results in the field. It is a combination of luck and science....the science part helps the luck kick in ....acornman
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Duck diets/forage
Thanks for the great info. That's exactly what I needed to know. It's nice to have people on the forum that know their stuff.
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