Sustainable duck feed

[Javamama]

Very cool idea. I have no pond at the moment so I'll tuck that idea away.

Mine seem to be doing quite well foraging. I only give them a small scoop of flockraiser in the morning and at night. However - this morning they turned it down in favor of grass. They are getting fat so they must be eating plenty. My hostas took quite a beating this week. I have been meaning to transplant them to another area

I'm really impressed at how much better they forage than the chickens

 

[~gd]

My pond is one of those hard sided liners. I think it is around 500 gallons. In a claw foot tub you could do it with just a few. I threw 6 in along with some gold fish. Rosies are sold as feeder fish around here. I used a stock tank smaller than a bathtub for my duckweed ranch, it was ok, I harvested when the surface got covered, took 3/4 of the surface about every 3rd day. Tried the feeder fish thing but it attracted raccoons so I gave up on that.~gd

Now about the slugs. I already warned some of you what happens when you use beer on slugs. They just get drunk and make even MORE slugs.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

EEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWW! Ew-ew-ew!

In Maine the slugs weren't incredibly big, but on several occasions I found myself, on a walk or a ride on my horse, in the middle of a sea of slugs. What got me to look down was the strange sensation and sound underfoot.....

Ew-ew-ew!!!!!!!

GROSS!!!!!

Loosely crumple up some newspaper & put it under your lettuces & whatnot. Check them early in the morning, they will be full of slugs. Or put down a few planks of wood, the bottom will be covered. Or rather, mine usually are. *Squish*

 

[Wifezilla]

I love that term "duckweed ranch" Hee hee hee

As much as people sell that stuff for online (usually to reptile owners) you might be on to something

 

[~gd]

I love that term "duckweed ranch" Hee hee hee

As much as people sell that stuff for online (usually to reptile owners) you might be on to something

I know I shouldn't use Nasty words here but there is a Biotech firm near here (where I got my super but unmodified duckweed strain) which is going to try to GMO duckweed for various drug products, its fast growth and DNA structure meets requirements well. It must be grown under unbreakable plastic (we get bad hail) with Class 1 air confinement and all liquid discharged through Class 3 sterilization systems (I may consult on those systems since I already have the experience.) If it works out you may have a duckweed ranch near you!!

 

[Wifezilla]

I will keep my duckweed natural and organic

 

[~gd]

I will keep my duckweed natural and organic

Thats why I said that mine was unmodified, it is however selected from many strains for vigor and speed of reproduction.

 

[Wifezilla]

The duckweed and the rosies

The baby fish

Unauthorized snacking

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I take a baggie with me to the state parks and shove the poor unsusupecting slugs into it to take home to my birds b/c they have cleaned me smooth out of slugs.

FYI, the native slugs are good for the environment, as they just eat decaying leaves etc. It is only the slugs that are in neighborhoods (originally from Europe) that eat live plants. Don't let me catch you stealing native slugs from the parks!

 

[big brown horse]

I take a baggie with me to the state parks and shove the poor unsusupecting slugs into it to take home to my birds b/c they have cleaned me smooth out of slugs.

FYI, the native slugs are good for the environment, as they just eat decaying leaves etc. It is only the slugs that are in neighborhoods (originally from Europe) that eat live plants. Don't let me catch you stealing native slugs from the parks!

Woopsies! Good to know.