You mean my industrial compost that I put cardboard pizza boxes in doesn't contain as much organic matter? 😉 Certainly, that's obvious, but glad you dove in here.
Not only are they very quiet(no voice boxes or 'calls), their poo is cold compost grade with a C:N of 30:1. Their bill (snouts really) wiggles the ground only a little (not like the whole sell destruction of chickens with 9:1 C:N) and they wag their tails when excited to see you. These 'Indigenous exotic water birds' (my city has a thing against 'ducks') are not related to Mallards, don't need a pond, but just a large tub or cement tray that you fill every other day. You can pour it on the various trees in your urban plot, laden with nutrient rich water.
We are doing the 'perimeter paddock' using the required easements between the property line and various sheds, tanks, and other smaller structures to connect the multiple garden 'rooms'.
My wild Blackberry is gone down to just a few stubbed canes, easy to pull out the wood chipped substrate.
This is so cool! What a great partner you’ve found 👏 thanks so much for sharing. Do you know why their manure is higher C:N - Based on their diet perhaps? Also, whereabouts are you writing from/raising Muscovy? :)
I'm in SoCal which is the northern evolved range of this uniquely American bird (loved and cared for by the Aztec and Mayan (think Chinampas). However, they are now worldwide. Even France uses them for 90% of the 'ducks' due to being 98% fat free in the breast meat. And the eggs, while slightly fewer than the average chicken, are usually twice the size.
They are omnivores with a preference for water based plants and protein. Known for snapping low flying insects, their babies get 30-40% of their early protein that way.
I use them as an integrated system for Animal Feed Rescue, gathering timed out and prepped 'inedible' food waste that hasn't decomposed yet to feed them.
Let me know if you ever want to do a detailed study. I think these birds and their relationship with folks is a well kept Central American secret. They are so versatile!
You mean my industrial compost that I put cardboard pizza boxes in doesn't contain as much organic matter? 😉 Certainly, that's obvious, but glad you dove in here.
Enter in the perfect urban bird partner, Muscovy.
Not only are they very quiet(no voice boxes or 'calls), their poo is cold compost grade with a C:N of 30:1. Their bill (snouts really) wiggles the ground only a little (not like the whole sell destruction of chickens with 9:1 C:N) and they wag their tails when excited to see you. These 'Indigenous exotic water birds' (my city has a thing against 'ducks') are not related to Mallards, don't need a pond, but just a large tub or cement tray that you fill every other day. You can pour it on the various trees in your urban plot, laden with nutrient rich water.
We are doing the 'perimeter paddock' using the required easements between the property line and various sheds, tanks, and other smaller structures to connect the multiple garden 'rooms'.
My wild Blackberry is gone down to just a few stubbed canes, easy to pull out the wood chipped substrate.
Who needs lawnmowers?
This is so cool! What a great partner you’ve found 👏 thanks so much for sharing. Do you know why their manure is higher C:N - Based on their diet perhaps? Also, whereabouts are you writing from/raising Muscovy? :)
I'm in SoCal which is the northern evolved range of this uniquely American bird (loved and cared for by the Aztec and Mayan (think Chinampas). However, they are now worldwide. Even France uses them for 90% of the 'ducks' due to being 98% fat free in the breast meat. And the eggs, while slightly fewer than the average chicken, are usually twice the size.
They are omnivores with a preference for water based plants and protein. Known for snapping low flying insects, their babies get 30-40% of their early protein that way.
I use them as an integrated system for Animal Feed Rescue, gathering timed out and prepped 'inedible' food waste that hasn't decomposed yet to feed them.
Amazing! Thank you so much for sharing, I expect Muscovy could be a great partner for many other folks reading 👏 and they sound fun to boot :)
Let me know if you ever want to do a detailed study. I think these birds and their relationship with folks is a well kept Central American secret. They are so versatile!