Duck-scaping...

[ValerieJ]

I would put up an outdoor canopy to provide shade, and definitely a pool. I put one up for my chickens because it rains a lot here. They have fruit trees that provide shelter during the summer, but not so much in the winter.

 

[DuckMama9]

I have a Australian cattle dog, and I am actually getting another one today, relatives of the border collie. She is so good with the ducks! I am pretty sure the ducks jump on her more than she chases them!

Congrats on the new cattledog today! How exciting! Is it a puppy or adult?

 

[DuckMama9]

I would put up an outdoor canopy to provide shade, and definitely a pool. I put one up for my chickens because it rains a lot here. They have fruit trees that provide shelter during the summer, but not so much in the winter.

Thanks! That’s an awesome idea! I was thinking about stringing some wire and training some kind of vining plant to provide shade and cover but I don’t really know what kind of plants to use. Maybe I need to start a gardening thread...duckaculture or quackaculture

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Awesome job! - The ducks will like the mushrooms too…

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Thanks! That’s an awesome idea! I was thinking about stringing some wire and training some kind of vining plant to provide shade and cover but I don’t really know what kind of plants to use. Maybe I need to start a gardening thread...duckaculture or quackaculture

That is a very good idea! I would go with wine, it grows really fast (next year) and provides plenty of shade and if grapes become ripe and fall down, well they won't rot…

 

[Miss Lydia]

Beautiful duck-scaping I love it!

 

[DuckyDonna]

I love it too! It looks so natural and just plain pretty!

Both my border collies won't hurt my ducks, even the puppy. I used to keep my Anatolian shepherd right in the duck run with them but sadly, RIP Honeybear. Not all dogs wil kill your ducks but your neighbor's might! We had a neighbor friend help us with the duck run renovation today and he told us his dogs kill everything. Chickens, cats ets. Just how they are raised I guess.

 

[katiebrock]

Congrats on the new cattledog today! How exciting! Is it a puppy or adult?

An adult. He is actually my dogs litter mate, and his owner couldn’t keep him anymore. He has already gone after the ducks though, so we will have to work on that! He is the red one.

 

[Mama_Owl_3]

UPDATE: I considered what WannabeHillBilly and DuckyDonna both said. I started the morning with one idea in mind and after a few different trips to the hardware store & nursery, I ended up doing something completely different! Here it is...View attachment 1880137

First off this morning, I went and priced edging materials at the hardware store but decided that they are way to expensive and don't really provide a deep enough bed as I like to use. Furthermore, the metal posts used to stake poultry netting that I thought I might use to keep ducks out had a warning on it that it causes cancer! I remembered that I have a bunch of wood tree stump logs that I never got around to splitting for firewood and I decided that they would be ideal for many reasons: 1) provides a duck barrier and deep raised bed in one, 2) creates a micro-ecosystem for bugs and lizards, 3) the stumps provide seating, and 4) it's FREE! As an added bonus, I might some day be able to cultivate some edible mushrooms on the stumps as they decay slowly and naturally over time
View attachment 1880136
Also, I originally envisioned planting herbs and veggies for the ducks and the humans here, but ultimately decided to plant a variety of ornamental perennials and annuals that attract humming birds and butterflies, and were labeled "deer resistant", figuring that if deer leave it alone, then maybe the ducks will too. The benefit of transplants is that I get to enjoy the beauty of the landscape right now instead of waiting for seeds to sprout up and grow. At any rate, I am very pleased with how it all turned out.

It looks absolutely beautiful!