My garden 😞

[Xerocles]

First of all, that’s a great sized garden! And, you sound overwhelmed. I get you there..I OFTEN bite off more than I can chew...not saying that’s your deal, just comparing me. I think you have a good head start. You’ve done a lot of research. I hope the ducks help? My ducks ruined the garden...yesterday I tried to sell the ducklings and Chris had to actually stop me. But, I had 43...and, perhaps runners will do just what you intend for them to do? Wouldn’t that be great if someth went as planned?! Our soil...ugh. Mostly clay, tons of rocks..the more we till, the more they grow. We do have a few very large gardens...but we were always trying to get away with a small tiller, two bottom plow, a dis. Well, not thisyear Chris went all out. If you were close, I’d give you one of our small tillers..the one works too good..too hard for him handle at times. Plus, we just have to much ground to till b6 hand. Perhaps look online for used equipment..like a tiller. Last year, due to all that rain..we made some raised beds...and my farmer/grower hubby...doesn’t think that counts. But it worked since the ground was too wet. The advantage there..once you make them, you e got them...for awhile? And, if you’re swamped with rain, like last year...the beds work great! As for feeding the ducklings...it’s still way too cold here for little ones..4” of snow yesterday. Are they outside and eating bugs? I had set meal times for my ducks. I actually have a thread on BYC...’are ducks ever NOT hungry’...quite simply..no. The more you feed them from your hand, the more the6 will expect it, and, doesn’t sound like you want them all up in your business? Mine free ranged all through the day. At nigh5 I gave them a good amount...sometimes I measured, sometimes no...but...a limited amount. Those feeders where the feed keeps coming out? In my opinion...not to be used for ducks..a few reasons...they will eat every single drop! Second, the old metal ones aren’t made with a big enough space for aduck bill to get down to the feed. I e actually had ducks get their goofy beaks stuck in the feeders. So, by the time I was ready to sell, them , I had it down to a science...mine didn’t need fed in the morning...just goin* out was enough..in the summertime. In the winter I let them out, and used a big feeding tray...a pan will do. Put the feed in there. When they are done..I take it away, so they can’t poop in it. Same thing at night. The crumbles keep them on their toes to get them in and out..but, if you overfeed a duck...what’s that? My pekins got too big and it was a health issue. You won5 have that...but, why give them unlimited feed, when they really don’t NEED it is how I see it. My chickens get unlimited feed, but they know when to eat and when to stop.
pits up to you how you do it..I’m just giving you my experience. Also, with the drakes..if you have to cull three..you’ll need to get a friend for the one left behind. They need to be in at least a pair. But, definitely don’t have more than one drake. Not with a few ducks. If your soil is clay, and you say you have no ‘tools’. How do you plan to get it up enough? This year we are expanding...but, the original garden will still be used. If it doesn’t grow like two seasons ago...it’s done, I’ll use it for...pigs? We are starting new gardens..and two are pre-gardens as you say. We are prepping the soil for...maybe next year? We might plant a row or two of corn..just to test it out. As for what to plant...pick veggies that last a long time!! Butternut squash can be saved in our root cellar for months and months!! We love them sooo much. Zucchini no one can screw up. And one plant yields a lot. I’d try a variety of tomatoes, to see which take nest in your area? We are still playing with ours...this year we’re growing those giant sweet orange ones that are supposed to have less acid? They taste good, arebig, and sell great!! Plant things that you can feed to the other animals too...dark leafy greens, etc. cucumber for the chickens...

We start out seeds inside..but our season is much later. We can’t put anything in the ground until Memorial Day. Even then we lose some. The trick is..make sure you don’t start too soon. If the plant is too tall when you replant it is likely not to be strong enough for the wind. At least here...it’s terribly windy. Plus, look at the days to yield. You don’t want your snap peas to be starting inside, like we did last year, because then they are done way too soon. Also, last year, we tried a few things we don’t typically eat. Chris though5 wed have rutabaga our the wazoo. I was afraid we’d starv3 to death from eating too much. Luckily they did not do well, out of about a million..we got about three. We also tried new things we don’t typically like from the store. Amaz the difference when it’s from a garden. Now, we plant many weird things, so they can sell...it attracts people...but, by doing that we’ve discovered a bunch of veggies we never though5 to try!!
ok, that’s all I can think of now. Be careful with your fertilizer...last year we got many different advice. We tried some 19-19-19...seemed to not do well. But again..depends on the soil. Ok..enough dirty talk....how about the bunnies?? I haven’t seen that thread moving for a bit?! Updates please!! Pictures too!

Let's see now. I got 5 ducks. I'm going to cull 3. And I need to get a friend for the ONE left behind? No wonder you have so many animals! Your animal math is astounding!!
For all the rest....thanks, that's what I need.
And a couple new pics in the rabbit thread.

 

[Mini Horses]

If you like our MATH skills -- just wait a while for the gardening ones.

Fortunately, rabbit poop is good to use at once! you're in business. I like to try a "new" something each year but, I always make sure I plant what I like to eat first. Otherwise, why bother?? So think about it.

Exercise is good in a garden and the FAVORITE is bragging rights. Yep, only ONE good anything -- all else can fail miserably. Got that?? All that hay will rot & enhance. Good.

Now, if all is overcome with weeds, etc. -- you won't be alone, not here. Nope. Plenty of us out here will experience this. I cannot remember a time when I didn't have more weeds than wanted -- EVER, in any garden.

Your experimental garden is good. At least you won't be disappointed. LOL Mine is somewhat experimental this year, also. Old seeds, new area, didn't have much in garden for a few years now and none last year. I have great soil but, was a pasture. Grass!! We can marvel at any success together. That's what friends are for!

 

[Beekissed]

Some suggestions for varieties would be appreciated. #4 I only wanted 2 ducks, but could not locate grown Runners, could not buy sexed ducklings, and only wanted 2 females for eggs AND bug control. No plans to raise them, so why have drakes? Will cull down to two, once I can determine sex.
Question. Right now they're barely a month old and growing. So feeding basically unlimited. But I don't want to turn them into "barn cats" that are over fed and don't catch mice. If they don't keep the garden practically bug free they're useless. But I don't want to starve them either. So when they approach maturity, how much and when do I feed them?

Any lettuce type, spinach, bok choi, or any other tender type green will do.

Take away the unlimited feeding...not good for ducks and it does produce an overly fat duck, which cuts down on laying prowess and willingness to forage much. Feed once a day and only what they can clean up by midday~ or only feed in the evenings when you want them to come back to the garden to be penned for the night. When I feed at night, I feed a serving that gives them supper to top off what they foraged in the day and also a little left over for a tiny bit of breakfast...that way you don't have to feed twice, if you feel like you want to do that.

All birds here get one meal a day and whatever they forage...and a hungry bird hunts the hardest. Their natural food is way better for them than any grain based feeds we can provide, so keep that in mind.

Their serving size fluctuates according to high forage months and you'll know how much they need by how much they leave behind each day....that feed pan should look licked clean, no residue still in it by the next day's feeding time.

 

[Xerocles]

Any lettuce type, spinach, bok choi, or any other tender type green will do.

Take away the unlimited feeding...not good for ducks and it does produce an overly fat duck, which cuts down on laying prowess and willingness to forage much. Feed once a day and only what they can clean up by midday~ or only feed in the evenings when you want them to come back to the garden to be penned for the night. When I feed at night, I feed a serving that gives them supper to top off what they foraged in the day and also a little left over for a tiny bit of breakfast...that way you don't have to feed twice, if you feel like you want to do that.

All birds here get one meal a day and whatever they forage...and a hungry bird hunts the hardest. Their natural food is way better for them than any grain based feeds we can provide, so keep that in mind.

Their serving size fluctuates according to high forage months and you'll know how much they need by how much they leave behind each day....that feed pan should look licked clean, no residue still in it by the next day's feeding time.

That's what I'm talkin about. Simple. Straightforward. Here's a few ways to accomplish it. Thanks for making this as simple as it should be.
Just to make sure I've got everything though. These ducks are only one month old. Do the same rules still apply?

 

[Jesusfreak101]

I just give one one feeding as adults a 3quart scoop thats between 10 birds (ducks) they find the rest on their own. Birds seem to eat more then pigs seriously lol

 

[Beekissed]

That's what I'm talkin about. Simple. Straightforward. Here's a few ways to accomplish it. Thanks for making this as simple as it should be.
Just to make sure I've got everything though. These ducks are only one month old. Do the same rules still apply?

Yep. I feed everything once a day, including day old chicks on up to the dogs. Streamlines the chores and establishes routines that help train the animals to gather at feeding time from all points on the place.

 

[Xerocles]

Garden infrastructure is 99.99% complete. Fence is up. Electric Fence is up. Wire is securely attached to the grounding rods. Gate is installed. Fence is tested @ 2000-3300 volts. Only thing missing is to put up the trail cam and the solar motion floodlights. Have the trailcam, just need to fetch it. Gotta get the flood light still. But tomorrow SOMETHING is going in the ground. I have about 7 tomato plants that are 6-7" tall. 3 have been sitting ON the ground in the garden for about 5 days and the ducks haven't bothered them. Ducks! They discovered the sugar snap peas. Decimated them (and they were up about 7 inches and beginning to twine onto the trellis.) Ignoring a nice patch of leaf lettuce immediately beside the peas. I went out about 6:30, just looking around. The ducks bills and head past their eyes were RED. I investigated (of course). One spot of peas had not sprouted. I figured to replant one day this week. Maybe they did start sprouting today? The ducks had dug a hole about 4" in diameter and 4 or 5" deep, right in that spot. I caught them red handed.....errrr...headed.
So, I guess everything will be "protected" until it gets more than 6" tall. I say again. I see ONE slug this year and they're OUTTA HERE!

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

That's what I'm talkin about. Simple. Straightforward. Here's a few ways to accomplish it. Thanks for making this as simple as it should be.
Just to make sure I've got everything though. These ducks are only one month old. Do the same rules still apply?

Same rules as what..too small to eat?

 

[Sheepshape]

Completely out of context....but found this bank of primroses today.....thought you'd like them.

My rams (3 of them) have occupied this area up until today, so clearly they are not sheep food!

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

Completely out of context....but found this bank of primroses today.....thought you'd like them.

View attachment 72551

View attachment 72552
My rams (3 of them) have occupied this area up until today, so clearly they are not sheep food!

Absolutely gorgeous!! All we see is mud and a dusting of snow...