What food to plant in duck pond

[lisagrantb]

I'm going to plant a 100 acre crawfish pond to attract ducks this fall. My local farm rep suggested a sorghum - sudangrass hybrid at a rate of 30#/acre. Does anyone have experience with this grain good or bad.
Thanks

 

[JDubya]

We've grown both sudangrass and sorghum, but never the hybrid. For what it's worth, both were easy to grow and effective for the intended purpose. (We no longer grow sudangrass because it too effectively self-seeded and was taking over.)

 

[26Reload]

DUCKWEED OF COURSE.....
I helped set up a duck hunting farm around Chico one season...biggest draw to the ducks was the BIG LAKE...huge amount of water for birds to roost on over night...and be shot off during the day.....but there were many pieces of water to hunt over....flowing water thru shallow areas make for perfect growing and hunting situations....say 50 square yards of water deep enough for a bird to tip into to dig at the food source...that way the water height and food sources can be regulated by the owner....flooded corn works really good for duck hunting and feed.....leave some standing for blind materials......wish i could remember more...been a long time...
But setting up shooting shacks was also planned along with planting of willows and the like of trees.....cattails.....

The place I helped on was huge....supposedly up to 12 million ducks...private property...next to a CFW refuge that may have a cool million on it......
Pheasants everywhere....one of fhe fattest blacktail deer I ever have seen.....thought it was a really fat person walking down the road......and yes...i wear glasses......buck couldn't jump the fence....too fat....had to crawl thru it......amazing.....

 

[Farmerboy78]

Millet or rice

 

[Ace Quackhunter]

I'm going to plant a 100 acre crawfish pond to attract ducks this fall. My local farm rep suggested a sorghum - sudangrass hybrid at a rate of 30#/acre. Does anyone have experience with this grain good or bad.
Thanks

We have always used either rice or millet. They both work.

 

[JDubya]

Millet is our go-to for an easy, productive option.

 

[74honker]

I'm going to plant a 100 acre crawfish pond to attract ducks this fall. My local farm rep suggested a sorghum - sudangrass hybrid at a rate of 30#/acre. Does anyone have experience with this grain good or bad.
Thanks

What part of the country are you in? Guessing southern since you mention crawfish....YUM lol. Options are endless it just depends on how much effort, money, and what your hopes are for success. Personally I'm not a millet fan. The blackbirds eat it all before the ducks ever get to it in our part of the flyway. IMO I would find out what your neighbors do and how successful the are on the birds, then I would go with something just a hair better. Milo, rice, buckwheat, are good choices. Corn is AWESOME but it is expensive and if you don't do it right as in just like you are farming to harvest the corn crop for real then it won't do much good and your water level has to be just right for it too.

 

[lisagrantb]

I'm in Louisiana. I have the equipment and was planning on investing a couple thousand dollars for seed and other stuff. The nearest neighbor that plants something for ducks are about 10 miles away and they plant rice because that's what they farm.

 

[74honker]

If your competition is that far away and you get plenty of birds in your area that's half the battle. IMHO you are probably better off with rice, buckwheat, or milo. Corn will cost 10x your budget to do it right. I'm from IL so corn country here lol. You shouldn't need it where you're at. Maybe try to split your field up some and try 2 or 3 different foods and let the ducks tell you what they like best. I can tell you that buckwheat gets over looked too much and waterfowl LOVE it and it's about the easiest thing in the world to do. 100 acres is a big place to play with and variety is the spice of life lol. I'm sure you will have some good hunting regardless.

 

[lisagrantb]

I still have a few bushels of seed corn left over from planting this spring, after we get through planting beans I may take the planter to the pond and plant a few acres on one end to see what happens. Thanks

 

[Ace Quackhunter]

I'm in Louisiana. I have the equipment and was planning on investing a couple thousand dollars for seed and other stuff. The nearest neighbor that plants something for ducks are about 10 miles away and they plant rice because that's what they farm.

I lived in Louisiana for over ten years and 2016 after two major floods I left for high ground, sure do miss the food and Mudbug Maddness.
Ace

 

[Sengoku]

I always though Mushrooms where good for this, I think this is the opportunity to ask.

 

[buxndux]

Japanese millet, pearl millet, smart weed barnyard grass , lots of good food out there

 

[100percent]

Three options for best results:
1. Corn
2. Corn
3. Corn