Plants for the Avairy

[kangababy]

We are building a Large avairy and I need to know what I can plant that wil be same for the waterfowl?

 

[1lpoock]

My aviary has just regular grass throughout and then maybe 10 tall grasses all around. That plus some dead branches and stumps and it turned out really natural looking!

 

[Dr. Todd]

Some of my favorite aviary plants:
Hemerocallis (Daylily)
Forsythia
Fothergilla
Ilex (Holly)
Tsuga (Hemlock)
Rhododendron
Salix purpurea (Dwarf Arctic Blue willow)
Yucca
Juniperus spp.
Phlox
Callicarpa (Beautyberry)

Very little will do well in a crowded aviary full of bored ducks; less is more in the long run.

Dr. Todd

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Quote:
with the quantity you have, most all plants will be eaten shortly. I know your aviary is big, but they'll still eat it up, about the only think I could keep going was black willow trees (very water tolerant) and reeds if planted and establish before the ducks were introduced. Be wary of some of the junipers, the berries on some species are toxic, I would avoid all of them

 

[Dr. Todd]

A well planted aviary is worth all the ducks in it. Exclusion fences, tall shrubs, etc. will make lots of plants possible for you. Giving plants time to acclimate to the pen and ducks the time to acclimate to the plants before they can touch and meddle with them will help prevent many losses to leaf picking birds.

We use the Juniperus chinensis 'Sea Green' or 'Mint Julep' cultivar and have for years, no problems with waterfowl.

I'm no plant expert, I learned by trial and error. Keep at it!

Dr. Todd

 

[destinduck]

Kanga If they can get at them,the plants are toast with how many and the species you have. Trust me. I love plants but my one of my pens is almost the same as yours only a little smaller. I tried what dr todd said.Mine even ate pampas grass

I would worry about holly or yuccas injuring their eyes for sure

 

[Sumatra503]

Large tough grasses tend to work very well. Tusic grass it a good one around the ponds. Small willow trees and some small evergreens will also hold up. Anything with a bitter taste that is not toxic. The bitter taste makes the birds steer clear. Also something like rose which has some tameish thorns will keep them away as well. Large sword ferns last a while and are pretty tough and hardy. Some of the more invasive pond weeds are pretty reslliant. Any non toxic plant is labled Deer Resistant is a good one. If deer wont eat it, ducks won't either.

Fake plants are also very good.

 

[kangababy]

Yeah So far (a month of being in the pen) they haven't eaten things to the ground but I am waiting.. it might be because some of them didn't get alot of water and were dry (still alive) and even the horses wouldn't eat them... I did notice this weekend after tempatures dropped that some of the grasses were flat.. I just figured they got cold and decided to lay in them! The have also left teh bamboo along!

There is only one bush/tree I planted that I was worried about but they have been leaving it alone. I think it is a weeping holly and I put it in there for shade.. We will see how it goes though..

my cousin just bought 40 acreas and has a pond with cattails all around it.. I am so getting over there one day.. He told me to come get all I want!

 

[waterdog]

We struggled with this for years and finally have vegitation in our breeding pens we have 50' x 50' breeding pens and have reduced the number of birds to 12 pair 24 birds per pen and we planted a food plot mix used for deer containing clover, alfalfa, timithy, and several others I can't remember. We planted one pen a year in the spring and waited until the following spring to put any birds back in the pen and after years of trying we have a pretty good cover established.

 

[destinduck]

Thats my problem,too many birds not enough land

hope it works better for you kanga. But if it dont for cover I use cedar branches and pine limbs all over way moreso during breeding season cause the more cover and boxes = way more baby ducks. Every day when I go in my big pen to feed I must walk real slow so I dont step on one (they are that friendly)