The Quack Shack

[Canadian Wind]

I just made sure she couldn't get out of the coop this time. I'll need to devise a screen for the top portion (the door is like a stable door, the coop is a converted shed).

She's a good sitter, but I think she lacks a bit as a mother. I chalked up her first abandonment of her ducklings to inexperience, but if she continues to act this way then I'll have to remove her from my breeding program.

Muscovy are one species I will not incubate their eggs (unless they've already been sat for a few weeks). Until I get a better incubator, that is.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

You can cook the fruits as jam or as ketchup, the wood is strong and caloric, the flowers smell nice and withstand frost, the bush is suitable as a windbreak or a companion plant...

… and they proliferate extremely fast and overtake a pasture within a few years…

We are talking about this plant: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elaeagnus_umbellata ?

The ducks pluck the berries as high as their necks can reach, i plug the higher hanging berries when i'm outside and eat them, but i am too lazy to collect enough to cook something of them. Its just too much work to plug enough of these berries and the shrubs have awful thorns.

I let them grow to stabilize my hill-site, but the long term plan is to replace them with fruit trees and berry bushes like gooseberries and currants.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I just made sure she couldn't get out of the coop this time. I'll need to devise a screen for the top portion (the door is like a stable door, the coop is a converted shed).

She's a good sitter, but I think she lacks a bit as a mother. I chalked up her first abandonment of her ducklings to inexperience, but if she continues to act this way then I'll have to remove her from my breeding program.

Muscovy are one species I will not incubate their eggs (unless they've already been sat for a few weeks). Until I get a better incubator, that is.

Exactly that dragged me down this year: Ducks who are really good sitters but either abandon their nests right before the ducklings hatch or don't care for the ducklings and keep on sitting even on an empty nest. I can't help but candle the eggs in an abandoned nest and if there are signs of life, the compost bin is out of the question…

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Obviously i need to clean under the bottom boards of the shelves in the basement pantry…

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Ten days alive and Ducky reached a new milestone:

Still only eating meal-worm soup, flies and white rice...

 

[Supercow]

… and they proliferate extremely fast and overtake a pasture within a few years…

We are talking about this plant: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elaeagnus_umbellata ?

The ducks pluck the berries as high as their necks can reach, i plug the higher hanging berries when i'm outside and eat them, but i am too lazy to collect enough to cook something of them. Its just too much work to plug enough of these berries and the shrubs have awful thorns.

I let them grow to stabilize my hill-site, but the long term plan is to replace them with fruit trees and berry bushes like gooseberries and currants.

Yes, this one. It is presumably non invasive in Europe and my experience so far (about 12 years) confirms that for our location.

Gooseberries and currants are great but prefer some shade. Autumn olive is a pioneer plant, only full sun makes it really happy. Different micro environments.

There is also the very similar but super sweet and strong smelling e. Multiflora, and several more eleagnus family bushes which look noticeably different but have similar characteristics. Presumably less invasive though in the u. S.

 

[Muscovy Wunda]

Do you see what Jack sees? Gazoo was in full honk yesterday

here's a clearer shot but its in different spot

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Do you see what Jack sees? Gazoo was in full honk yesterdayView attachment 3635317here's a clearer shot but its in different spotView attachment 3635318

What kind of birds are these? - They remind me to guinea fowl...

 

[Muscovy Wunda]

What kind of birds are these? - They remind me to guinea fowl...

Peacocks.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Talking about invasive species: Small carpet-grass and slender knot-weed have taken over my berrygarden:


This is what ducks in the green hell look like: