garden as duck run?

I can't tell you about runners....but as for my pekins, well...you've heard of the expression "A bull in a china shop"

I do let my hens and ducks into the garden late fall, all winter, and early spring - not just growing season!

 

I've planted my garden 3 times this year. The duckies taught me who is in charge. Needless to say, no garden this year.

 

My runners have access to gardens, but with supervision. Actually, they have the run of the grape arbor. It's built so that the runners forage underneath, fertilize, and prune the grapes. It works well.

Leaving them in all day will let them do a bit more "work" than you may want! They're great bug catchers, though! What about a linear run, around the perimeter of the garden bed? Holderread suggests that. I let mine go into gardens with mature plants, or recently harvested beds. They work it over, then move on. That works very, very well for all of us. I also let them noodle around all they want in an 1800 square foot recently planted forest garden - they do not bother the fruit and nut trees and bushes. They did nibble a false indigo flower bud.

 

sigh. internet.

 

Runners or any ducks will destroy plants. No tomato plant for us last year.