The Quack Shack

[Canadian Wind]

You have strange ducks! - This summer the ducks dug up banana-peels from the compost pile and ate those…
Wait! - Do you mean plantains (cooking bananas) or plantago - the cover plant with the large green leafs?
Anyways, my ducks eat those too...

Plantago...

Plantago! - Plantains are bananas for cooking.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago

You beat me to it!!!

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I remember commenting on your Flock contest photo about the plantain!

Also, @WannaBeHillBilly has a lovely crop of it too at his place.

Did you know that you can use a crushed plantain leaf to alleviate insects stings and bites?

I don't have it! - The ducks have!
And they love to eat the young tender leafs...

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

It's a really useful plant! Another good one is Yarrow but I don't suggest eating it. It is awful!!!

Careful with Yarrow!!!
If the Yarrow smells like mouse-pee its hemlock!
Hemlock is very unhealthy, just ask Socrates…

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Both plantain and yarrow are appreciated by our ducks when chopped up and served in water. In fact yarrow is known locally (mixed with cooked eggs) as the supreme food for raising young birds (chickens, ducks). Both are medicinal, yarrow for intestinal stuff (as suggested by its wicked bitterness) and as a general antiseptic, and plantain as I remember it is also good on open wounds.

What i dislike with plantago is that the dried leafs ruin the hay-bales. Somehow they attract moisture and the hay starts to rot starting from those leafs.

 

[Jenbirdee]

these kind of plantains

 

[Canadian Wind]

Careful with Yarrow!!!
If the Yarrow smells like mouse-pee its hemlock!
Hemlock is very unhealthy, just ask Socrates…

Yup, there are many lookalikes, although due to the different leaf structure as well as the flowers I don't find it difficult to tell the difference. It grows 'wild' all over the yard here!

I would be more concerned about mixing up hemlock and Queen Ann's Lace.

 

[Luv Ducks]

I remember commenting on your Flock contest photo about the plantain!

Also, @WannaBeHillBilly has a lovely crop of it too at his place.

Did you know that you can use a crushed plantain leaf to alleviate insects stings and bites?

I have a WH that is very pretty but has a black and now dark green color to her bill. I thought they were supposed to be all black but hers for some reason got the dark shade of green in it. She is a beautiful duck though and is very vocal, lol.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Happy
Freaky Frost Friday
to Everybody!​

Two thirds of my flock decided (again!) to sleep on the pond instead of the warm and cozy dux-house!
So this morning there were about 50 cold, grumpy and very hangry ducks sitting in front of my porch. Several wild Mallards had joined the orchestra and
everybody was complaining loudly that there was no food outside and that i "forgot" to turn on the heat - again! Stupid Huumon!

 

[Canadian Wind]

Happy
Freaky Frost Friday
to Everybody!​

Two thirds of my flock decided (again!) to sleep on the pond instead of the warm and cozy dux-house!
So this morning there were about 50 cold, grumpy and very hangry ducks sitting in front of my porch. Several wild Mallards had joined the orchestra and
everybody was complaining loudly that there was no food outside and that i "forgot" to turn on the heat - again! Stupid Huumon!

You need a gate to keep them from there!!!

 

[Jenbirdee]

You need a gate to keep them from there!!!

fences and gates, fences and gates, ever since gardening and having ducks and chickens and geese I have found that I spend so much time and money on fences and gates every year it’s just part of being a farmer/poultry, parent waterfowl person - the never-ending saga of fences and gates, repairing replacing, etc., etc.
i hope you have the strength and resources to keep them from doing that while it’s freezing i know it’s a struggle when we have health issues and finances issues we just do the best we can and take one day at a time . Routing for you Frank and enjoying your posts and videos very much