Pond plants that ducks won't eat?

[solarpup]

I've dug around online, and scoured old posts here, but I haven't found any good answers yet.

We've moved our ducks (and ourselves for that matter) from more rural sections of Massachusetts to urban St. Louis. But to make up for that, in their new home, the ducks have their pond inside their cage, so have access to it 24/7. This has made them very, very happy, and as a result, they do not miss New England at all.

The flip side of this is, they now get to poop in the pond 24/7. We have a very large filter, sucking from the bottom of the pond, on it, so that helps. But there is still a decent size bio load. Like most man-made ponds, we have a shallow shelf area for plants to help with the bio load. Back in MA, since the ducks weren't with it 24/7, the plants were relatively safe. The irises they never touched (and we've transported some fraction of those to St. Louis). Other plants we could cage when we let the ducks out. But here, the room is tight, so caging the plants is not a good option.

We did put some mint in the shelf area, since for the past two years the ducks seemed totally uninterested in it. Not since moving south, they've decided that they like min (we suspect mint juleps are somehow involved).

So, any other suggestions for non-poisonous, shallow water plants that your ducks seem uninterested in eating?

 

[Michael P]

All of my pond plants are in above-ground ponds that are out of reach of the ducks, mostly. They will definitely eat water lilies if they get the chance. I will try putting some leaves of other species in the duck pool to see which they don't eat (if any) and report.

 

[Michael P]

OK, I've tried pickerel weed, tuckahoe, Louisiana iris, and crinum. They ate all of them. The only thing they didn't eat is lizard's tail, Saururus cernuus.

 

[Celia_ Sleigh]

While they do eat them, I find mine eat water lettuce slow enough that they have survived. At least so far.

 

[CrystaBub]

Following this because I’m having the same problem. They eat everything. The only thing they haven’t touched is the ferns around the edge. They went through 20 water hyacinth in about an hour. I finally gave up. Interested to see what others are learning. Looking up lizards tail now!

 

[Michael P]

I have not tried water lettuce Pistia stratoides yes, but I now have plenty of it so stay tuned. That species is known to have irritating chemicals in the leaves. Do keep in mind that water lettuce and water hyacinth are highly invasive and illegal in many states.

 

[CrystaBub]

I ordered lizard tail - going to give it a try @Michael P! And feel free to post pics of your pond so I can ‘oogle’ Thanks!

 

[Michael P]

I use stock tanks above ground for my fish and plant ponds. The 24" height is just enough to keep the Welsh Harlequins from getting in. The kiddie pool is for the ducks, but I throw trimmings from all the aquatic plants in there for the ducks to eat.

 

[Michael P]

Did the test--my ducks will not eat water lettuce.

 

[lizgehring]

My ducks annihilated all the water lettuce, hyacinth, lilies, iris and cat tails. Nothing is left or survives their appetite. They forage 2 acres and a 25' round pond.