My garden 😞

[Jesusfreak101]

Ducks are able to climb ramps if you wanted it high lol don't ask but they can also climb to the top of a round bale. They decent climbers.

 

[Beekissed]

@Beekissed ...ok, i have airflow below the bottom of the nesting boxes in the chicken coop. But i need it in the duck barn too? Makes perfect sense. the bedding did get trashed rather fast and I worked too hard with my ducks. But, the ducks we get aren’t goin* in the barn....I don’t want to cut a hole in the bottom of the barn wall, because the barn is going to be used to farrow pigs, for goats, etc...and a low window would mean trouble. I foresee us just building a small coop to fit about 10 ducks. Because...we’ll, I could see me letting the new ducks set on eggs next year...sell most of the ducklings, but keep a couple. But I don’t ever want more than 8...but, I’ll make it big enough for 10. Do I need vents at the top too? Or jus5 the bottom?

You'll need the same sort of ventilation for the pigs and goats, so you might as well do it now....hog panels are your friend and can provide an adequate barrier for any low ventilation you create. Those animals create even more moisture than do the birds and pigs get pneumonia pretty easily in moist, stale air. In fact, an open air situation works best for most farm animals when it comes to barns, as humidity and stale air is more of an enemy to good health than a cold wind.

Ideally, for a coop, you really need adjustable ventilation at all levels to be able to provide proper airflow at different times of the year. Most folks won't tell you that because they follow what they read in books about coops rather than what actually works well. Same with the square footage....don't listen to the books and err on the side of TOO much rather than what is allowable. Even if you free range all year round, there may be times when the snow or cold is to much that the flock are confined to the coop for a few days....good idea to have more room than too little.

 

[thistlebloom]

@Xerocles , we're going to need some pictures of your duck garden when you get them installed out there.
Is your blueberry planted out in the garden area? I just wondered since you have clay soil, blueberries like moist soil, but not wet feet. They have a shallow netted root system, so your hay mulch should be about right for them.

P.S I'm not sure you can blame ducks for any weirdness you may be exhibiting. 😄

 

[Xerocles]

@Xerocles , we're going to need some pictures of your duck garden when you get them installed out there.
Is your blueberry planted out in the garden area? I just wondered since you have clay soil, blueberries like moist soil, but not wet feet. They have a shallow netted root system, so your hay mulch should be about right for them.

P.S I'm not sure you can blame ducks for any weirdness you may be exhibiting. 😄

It will be a few weeks before the ducks are fledged enough to move to the garden. Just starting to reduce heat lamp time. But that gives me time to get the deer fencing up. Ducks only need 24" fence to stay in. That would be quick & easy. But to keep the deer out...more like 24'? Going with 7'. But a little more trouble to install than 24". Pictures WILL follow when all is ready.
Blueberry. Yes, in the garden. And we've had an INCREDIBLE amount of rain this year (I have water standing in my back yard and I live on a pretty steep hill). At least it is planted at the highest part of the garden,so hopefully will not keep the roots too wet.
And I need to blame my weirdness on something. Since I don't have goats for a scapegoat, the ducks are elected.

 

[Beekissed]

It will be a few weeks before the ducks are fledged enough to move to the garden. Just starting to reduce heat lamp time. But that gives me time to get the deer fencing up. Ducks only need 24" fence to stay in. That would be quick & easy. But to keep the deer out...more like 24'? Going with 7'. But a little more trouble to install than 24". Pictures WILL follow when all is ready.
Blueberry. Yes, in the garden. And we've had an INCREDIBLE amount of rain this year (I have water standing in my back yard and I live on a pretty steep hill). At least it is planted at the highest part of the garden,so hopefully will not keep the roots too wet.
And I need to blame my weirdness on something. Since I don't have goats for a scapegoat, the ducks are elected.

You really, really don't need to put up 7 ft fences to keep out deer. A single strand of hotwire about knee height will keep them all out, especially if you keep it hot. You don't have to bait the line or anything, just keep it hot. Deer like to investigate any obstacle before deciding to hop over to the food on the other side and they do this with their nose.....get bit and never try it again. Don't try to bait it or flag it for good visibility...they don't need that. They also can blunder into it and get bit where the hair is thinner around the legs, which is also effective to keep them avoiding that plot of land.

We used this very type of fencing for 35 plus years here without a single deer getting in the garden....and we've had as many as 14 deer grazing in the yard right outside the garden. It works and it works very well. Nowadays I fence out chickens and dogs, so can't use that very simple but effective solution, but I would if it weren't for that.

Saves you money, time and a lot of heartache.

 

[Xerocles]

You really, really don't need to put up 7 ft fences to keep out deer. A single strand of hotwire about knee height will keep them all out, especially if you keep it hot. You don't have to bait the line or anything, just keep it hot. Deer like to investigate any obstacle before deciding to hop over to the food on the other side and they do this with their nose.....get bit and never try it again. Don't try to bait it or flag it for good visibility...they don't need that. They also can blunder into it and get bit where the hair is thinner around the legs, which is also effective to keep them avoiding that plot of land.

We used this very type of fencing for 35 plus years here without a single deer getting in the garden....and we've had as many as 14 deer grazing in the yard right outside the garden. It works and it works very well. Nowadays I fence out chickens and dogs, so can't use that very simple but effective solution, but I would if it weren't for that.

Saves you money, time and a lot of heartache.

Thanks for the tip. I'll try it. Makes life a lot simpler (and less expensive). I already have a 12v fence charger that I had purchased when I still planned on getting goats. That plus I'm STILL going to invest in a solar powered motion detector LED flood light for the garden.

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

You can definitely blame ducks for a ton of stuff..they are very crazy!! But, they are very sweet too!! My new Muscovies are just hatching...waiting for the last batch to see if there’s a lavender....then I’m only getting FOUR...not 43!!

 

[thistlebloom]

Thanks for the tip. I'll try it. Makes life a lot simpler (and less expensive). I already have a 12v fence charger that I had purchased when I still planned on getting goats. That plus I'm STILL going to invest in a solar powered motion detector LED flood light for the garden.

The goats are not happening then? I wondered if you had bought CP's.

 

[Xerocles]

The goats are not happening then? I wondered if you had bought CP's.

I still need, and quite frankly would love to get goats. But you guys have talked me out of having them (and you are usually such enablers). Seems that for every pleasant thing I read about goats, there are about 10 negative things. Aside from their tendency to escape (which I think I could control) there is the hoof trimming, horn trimming, fecal exams, worm loads, kidding problems, milking issues, feeding/digestive issues...more, but these come readily to mind. I'm here for the fun aspect of having animals. I don't mind a modicum of effort or even some problems, but from the difficulties I've read about on BYH, goats are just too time, effort, and worry intensive to make a fit on my little piece of ground.
But it all balances out. Originally I had only planned on chickens, rabbits , and goats. So I ended up with chickens, rabbits, and ducks. Now if I could only get the ducks to clear brush!

 

[Jesusfreak101]

Lol funny part is goats will eat everything you don't want them to eat first before they eat what you want and something they just refuse to eat. Take hay for example i got cow/horse quality hay a giant round bale they refuse to touch it. When they first got here I was all excited cause they did eat some now nothing. I had to go buy the green square bales of hay that they like however they still waste alot but the ducks use the waste for laying so whatever.