Ryan Bass

Those are great ideas! What grasses in particular would be tender enough for ducks to graze? I have some tough ones now that grow untouched by them.
I love the birdseed idea too. I found one with White Millet, Milo, Cracked Corn, Wheat, Black Oil Sunflower for example. Everything but the cracked corn in that mix could sprout right? So I should plan for the area to have some tall vegetation?

I have a small hand dug mud and allege "pond" that's around/under 20'x15' that is well positioned is fills whenever it rains. When filled it holds probably an average height of 1.5 feet of water which is held well but there is a high evaporation rate (pretty low in a couple days). I am letting it drain now so I ask one of my neighbors with a digger to help me expand it. Once expanded I will try to incorporate more small scale features to protect the pond and its other hopeful residents from the ducks like rocks, logs, and plants to encourage more life. In particular I would love to encourage dragonflies to help with mosquito control.

There is also a natural low point further into the woods that is a recent wetland year around with a bunch of trees falling in that area due to waterlogged roots I guess. I have thought about clearing that area and making a larger pond but that seems like a scary project to take on right now so I will start with my first small pond haha.

Hello Permies,

I am currently in the process of establishing a permaculture system to support my flock of 18 Silver Appleyard ducks. I have a five-acre property in central VA, zone 7b, with one clear acre and four wooded. My soil is predominantly heavy clay.

A significant portion of my clear acre is a septic/leach field area, which limits the types of plants that can be grown there. I'm looking to transform this area into a duck forage meadow, filled with species that perform multiple beneficial functions.

I've defined some critical criteria for the plant species:

Septic-friendly: They must have non-invasive root systems to avoid disturbing the septic field.
Low-maintenance: The species should require minimal care and be able to thrive with limited human intervention.
Soil Compatible: The species should be adaptable to, or prefer, clay-heavy soil.
Easily Propagable: They should be able to establish from seed broadcasted into undisturbed soil, supporting a hands-off approach to cultivation.

In addition to these, the following attributes are desirable but not essential:

Insect attracting
Duck edible
Low growing ground cover
Perennial/Naturalizable
Human edible
Valuable/tradeable
Providing shelter/nesting opportunities for ducks
Wildlife attracting
Having medicinal or crafting uses
So far, we've considered species like White Clover, Chickweed, Self-heal, and more. Each of these species meets most of the critical criteria and possess a number of the optional attributes.

I am open to all suggestions, insights, and experiences. If there are attributes I haven't considered that would be beneficial in this system, I'm all ears.

I'm very excited about this project and look forward to creating a vibrant and productive environment for my ducks. Thank you in advance for your wisdom and support!

Best,
Ryan

Thanks for all the great replies, I appreciate the insight and feel I have a good way forward. I will pick through for the non glass/metal and bury the rest.

Anne Miller wrote:Do you have a trash service or a place to dump what you remove?

...

My suggestion would be to not try to remove it unless you have somewhere to take the stuff you remove. Then start with small piles close to the house.

We have a few  waste facilities for our county and ya closest first makes total sense.

Definitely one of my top things to do for the fall/winter to get it before it gets worse as others have said as well as to help me enjoy and use the space better.

Thanks again,
Ryan

My partner and I just moved into our first home which is on a 5 acre wooded plot and I have begun my adventures with permaculture. Something I'm looking for advice on is dealing with existing trash on the property. There are a few medium-small piles of trash  around the house and in some spots deeper in the woods. It would not be impossible to remove it all but I'm wondering if its worth it. Most of the items seem to be rusted cans or glass bottles but there are some of miscellaneous objects too like cushions, shoes, tires, plastic object etc...

I'm wondering what peoples thoughts are on just burying what's there. I'm planning on taking down younger and dying trees to open up the canopy more, using the wood to create on contour hügelkultur berms along with soil from digging swales. Would stacking functions and burying this trash under the wood and soil of the hügelkultur be such an awful thing to do?

Thanks in advance.

I am building a house for some new ducks and am looking for advice on making it as portable as possible.

My area has a decent amount of predator pressure (bears, coyotes, opossums, hawks, etc..). I have a used Premier One electric fence to surround their area for ground predators and have tucked it in a corner near the woods while planting some more shrubs for some ariel protection.

My current design is a low to ground all wood a-frame on "skis". The sides and base would be all 1" thick wood and the front and back would be mostly wood with some mesh at the top for ventilation. This should still be moveable but will be very cumbersome. It will provide great predator protection at night however.

Given our context are there any ways I could simplify or reduce my plans? Could I get away with something like Joel Salatins open bottom, front, and back a-frame design given I have the electric fence? Or will it be pretty required to have a totally enclosed structure?

Thanks in advance!