Grass for Ducks

[HottentotTeal]

I came across the same realization with my soil a few days ago when i was thinking about putting grass in mine.

When i head back to the store, I was going to see if any of the organic soils have any additives.

 

[Amiga]

Not to complicate your life, but I make a soil I learned from the Square Foot Gardening system. It's called Mel's Mix. You can make a variation on it. It is one part peat moss, one part coarse vermiculite, one part compost. For grass, you may not need the vermiculite. Can you find peat moss or coco coir (similar in texture to peat moss, but renewable, it comes in dried compressed blocks to which you add water and it expands to fill a wheelbarrow)? Then add some organic compost, or your own. I would go fifty-fifty. If you can even find organic compost, that should work fine to grow grass.

Another option is to find a local organic grocery or nursery. We are blessed to have a mom and pop organic grocery store not too far away, and if they don't carry it, they usually know where to find it.

 

[vlapinta]

I am going to look for peat moss and anything else I can find orgainic locally. Thanks for the tip.

Vicki

 

[vlapinta]

I found Jobes makes an organic soil. They have it at WalMart. It has peat moss, vermiculite and lime. It was $3 for a small bag. I am going to keep looking for something in a larger bag, or just make my own as Amiga suggested with peat moss.

Vicki

 

[TennesseeTruly]

Quote:
I first bought mine on ebay. Now I get it in huge bags from the farm stores. It's really inexpensive.

Laurie

 

[thedoors5to1]

this is a pretty interesting link i came across one day, they are food plots for wild ducks, which im sure you could apply for your domestic. they are blends of seeds of wet loving marshland grasses/greens that ducks love.the product is sold intending to bring wildlife (ducks) to the area planted, and mainly applies for wetlands areas, but im sure you could pot up some and keep them very wet/moist and your ducks would love you

http://www.wildlifeseeds.com/foodplots/ducks/index.html#40_lb._PENNINGTON_Duck_Mix_For_Food_Plots

 

[vlapinta]

I have been doing some research and found this great site where you can buy all kinds of seeds to make sprouts and grasses for our ducks. They sell organic medium to grow wheat grass on called baby blanget. They also recommend vermiculite.
Check it out!


http://www.sproutpeople.com/devices/ez/easysprout.html

Its also great for humans!

Vicki

 

[duckluck]

Not to add more complications to the mix, but if you have horses, be careful what you plant, because some grasses aren't too good for them either.

 

[vlapinta]

I don't have horses. I was thinking of planting in low trays like the flower flat trays and putting the grasses in their pen. I can't let them forage on my property beacuse my husband treated our grass with crab grass preventor and as per Scott company you have to wait a year. I wanted to be able to let them eat fresh grasses.
I was also thinking of sprouting seeds for them like alfalfa or greens, would the sprouts be good? I am thinking anything fresh and green should be good except for the known no nos like onion, spinach ect. What do you think?

Vicki

 

[Amiga]

duckluck,

I remember working in eastern Ohio, where a certain type of fescue was planted. This fescue would become infected with a fungus - an endophyte - and eating infected fescue caused fertility and birthing problems with horses. What a world!

Thanks for the links, fellow duck lovers . . . I have been trying to find confirmation that jewelweed, Impatiens capensis is okay for ducks. It is on a list of plants that attract ducks, and it often grows at waters' edge. I think it will be okay, but it would be nice to be sure before letting them have any!

I plant buckwheat as a cover crop between garlic plantings. So I have some on hand. I was thinking of making a frame with poultry fence over it, and laying it over a bed of buckwheat to let it grow up through the fence . . . . another project!!! Buckwheat, by the way, is easy to grow, sprouts quickly, and if you let it keep growing, makes pretty little white flowers that bees adore.