Eric Donahue

Ben,

Muscovies, though from South America are tough in northern climates.  We had these ducks from the 1980s to about 2015 and they survived northern Michigan winters with occasional frostbite.  They stayed out in the cow barn with on the threshing floor.  Some roosted higher up in the hay mow on their own.  We only babied them as babies, not as adults.  They eat full or cracked corn.  Yes zay eats zeebugs in spring, summer and fall but corn should also be available to them especially in winter to maintain their fat.

Muster Forests, Inc is carrying Washington Hawthorn In 2022
https://www.musserforests.com/prod.asp?p=WAHA

Burnt Ridge Nursery & Orchards has Black Hawthorn
https://www.burntridgenursery.com/searchprods.asp

Dear Mud,
Re: Page 7
the URL you list here for the Liberator is now at rockectmassheater.com

And the price has gone up (inflation).

https://rocketmassheater.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/UserManualRMH2.pdf

When I rebuilt a hay wagon I bought a shed framing kit from northern tool:
https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_572_572
It made it simple and sturdy to build a coop atop the wagon.

You are in PA.
I would go with Musser Forests, Inc. out of Indiana, PA:

http://www.musserforests.com/prod.asp?p=GGA

Josh,
From the Michigan Nature Association I find this to be key-“They grow on sand or thin soil over limestone rich gravel or bedrock.”
I have no experience growing this plant, though I did get to see this threatened plant a few years ago in its native habitat.
I assume getting the right alkalinity along with maintaining proper water level are the limiting factors for this threatened plant.

We had Muscovies for almost 40 years.
You need corn.  Yes, they eat tons of insects, but in winter, be ready with the corn.
They fend for themselves. They went in the big barn where the cows were.
Hens were always laying and hatching in the hay bales at drop of a hat.
They average about 12+ hatching on a nest of almost 20 eggs- Temperature dependent and how often she leaves to drink water or get corn...
They could have a better success rate if you confined the hen to a big empty water tank and made a sturdy lid for her so she could mother without having to worry about predators.  We had a pond about 1000 Feet away but they mostly stuck to the 2 Acres around the barnyard.  (50-75 ducks sometimes on less than 2 Acres of ranging through cow pies in summer, eating fly larvae.  That was the purpose of having barnyard ducks).

Yes, Husqv expensive:  https://www.husqvarna.com/us/accessories/grease-oils/x-guard-biodegradable-bar-chain-oil/593153001/

https://www.burntridgenursery.com/Silverberry-Bushes/products/110/