These little guys and gals arrived last week. Our plan is to herd them into areas of the flower fields that need some bug control. Unlike chickens they do not scratch so they will not be destructive to the plants (mature plants) and are herd-able. Have you ever tried to herd chickens into an area?......nigh unto impossible.
They are Ancona ducks and are really good egg layers provided you give them lots of oyster shell and everything they need for good nutrition. (Yes, we are going to eat these eggs.) I ordered them from Cackle Hatchery in Lebanon, MO via the internet.
My basement was bursting with little seedlings and I had to turn on the greenhouse and move some out. Here you are looking at Caledula and Agrostemma.. The main thing about greenhouses and starting plants early is not so much daytime temperatures. It's always the nighttime temps. you are battling. You have to keep that greenhouse from freezing and killing your plants. I would love to keep it at 55 degrees at night for optimal growing speed but I do tend to cheap out and run it at around 45 - 50 degrees. But ultimately just keep it from freezing at night. You could easily use a cold frame uncovered in the day and covered in a warm blanket at night.
Godetia seedlings.
Everything looks healthy and growing well. Cute little babies!
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to see all is good. Well, Paula, I do want to tell you that we have six chickens that follow Brent wherever he goes, just like ducks! Chuckle. Have fun with your plants.
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