This is the Farmers' Institute newsletter for the early spring edition - who's kidding who, it's not exactly spring as I am sitting here with a toque on my head and a hand knitted nose warmer. We are down to our last few sticks of wood - SEND HELP!
There is a lot of reading in this issue re tax implication for Farmers concerning incorporation and all you wanted to know but were afraid to ask concerning new ground water licencing. The Agricultural Alliance has done a great job in outlining the water licencing issues. The feature article repeats in some areas also offering various links.
Please FOLLOW THE BLUE LINKS TO WEBSITES OR VIDEOS. Below is a handy content list. .

Contents

POULTRY CLUB

Getting Started with Ducks

The following is an exchange from the poultry club’s email discussion list. A bit long but a good read.
Hello fellow poultry enthusiasts, I am new to the island, having just bought a piece of land up on Mt Tuam on which to start up a farm and permaculture learning center, and have a questions about getting started with ducks. My question is whether we should let them free range during the day to then be locked up in a secure coop at night, or should we rotationally graze them within mobile electric fencing during the day and in the coop at night. I am leaning towards rotational grazing for several reasons. The first being that there are several seasonal ponds and one year round pond on the land that have frogs, the western redbacked salamander, a pair of native ducks and all sorts of insects living in and around them. I am worried that if we introduce a flock of 5-20 ducks that they will negatively impact the health of these existing creatures. I don't know if there are any endangered species in and around the ponds and don't want to harm the native ecology unknowingly by letting the ducks into these areas. The second reason is that there are many birds of prey in our area, as well as mink and raccoons and I imagine that being within electric fencing will give them a bit more protection during the daytime. Also it will be easier to get them inside their coop at night. The third reason for rotational grazing is that we want to capitalize on the positive ecological benefits that holistic/intensive/managed rotational grazing of herbivores can have on a landscape such as increased soil fertility, increased plant coverage and reduced pest populations. For more on this technique: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Managed_intensive_rotational_grazing How do those who have ducks manage their flock? Does free ranging lead to reductions in native species populations, or higher flock losses due to predators? Does anyone else rotationally graze their ducks? Just wondering what things look like here on the island. Appreciate any feedback and suggestions. Nick
Alas, the eagles will love you, Nick. They specialize in domestic ducks. My wild ducks, mallards and mergansers and pintails swim in our front ponds. They're pretty clever and though there are regular attempts, they’re fast eagle dodgers. However, we picked up a couple of Muscovys which are notorious for being eagle target practice, hoping that they'd also be safe there as well. Not a chance. The two big fat slow-witted slow-moving domestic ducks didn't last through the first day. Even with the electrical fence rotations those ducks wouldn't be very safe, though that's by far the most excellent way to go. They need some kind of protector within the electric fence. My peacocks cluster nicely around the hen house, but they wouldn't in a field. Too boring for them. Maybe you can pick up a protector dog to lounge about out there during the day. If you don't lock them up every night you are merely raising racoon and mink feed. A weird note on protection. I bought a couple of those wonderful Buddhist prayer flags last year. For some reason I went for the black ones, more dramatic I guess, only Sharon thought they were two depressing. So, of course, they ended up in the chicken run. Not only do the chickens receive spiritual protection but we haven't had a single attack since I erected the flags early in the fall. I'm betting it's the dangling bits floating around. Between them and the peafowl, life has been relatively safe for the flock since the summer....Brian
Even better (perhaps) than prayer flags are all those unwanted CDs, each dangling on a string from overhead wires. Predatory birds do no not like them. Sally
We have ducks, 30 of them at present. This will be our 4th year of keeping them - mostly Indian Runners, Hook Bill cross, Harlequin cross and Muscovys. And we have had issues with the local wild life that sees them as dinner. So far we have had attacks by Eagles, raccoons, sea otters, river otters and either a mink or weasel. The latter was the most devastating, which happened last year and cost us most of our Muskovy flock, including 6 month old chicks. Despite all this we love keeping ducks and have developed an increasing number of ways to protect our birds. We have two acres area fenced against deer which seems to also be deterring raccoons somewhat as we don't get them in the yard too often now. Our Border Collie also plays a roll in this, I'm sure. The otters simply stopped coming and we haven't had them as a problem for nearly 2 years now. Within the two acre area we have a smaller fenced area where the ducks can stay when conditions aren't right for them to wander the rest of the larger fenced in area. Within this smaller compound is a fairly large, nice new duck house which keeps them safe from dusk till around 9 am in the morning. That also have a small pond there. The next level of security to be done will involve installing an over head webbing of lines with dangly shiny things to ward off the eagles that pass by, especially from now till April. We also hope this might deter the ravens that drop in to steal eggs from right under nesting ducks. We shall see as they are very wily. Anyway, there are definitely challenges to raising ducks but with experience and creativity these can be controlled if not stopped completely. We have come to accept that each new spring will bring nature to the duck door in the hope of providing for the various family needs they have. We will loose some of our flock to this cycle but in the interest of protecting the local fauna, this is a small price to pay. Feel free to come visit and see what we are doing here if you like. Blair
thanks, all for the advice. It seems like free ranging ducks isn't a good approach simply from the perspective of duck safety. I'm definitely interested in the hanging CD idea. And it's good to know that the ducks will require more than just electric fencing to keep the myriad predators at bay. I share your view that having ducks in a rural area is bound to involve losses and that is just part of the natural cycle that we are part of. I'd like to have a look at your setup before we attempt our own. very happy to be part of this group! Nick
I have had the though before that the poultry club should put together a "Protect Your Flock" essay. When I first saw this post my mind started working on a small booklet of hints and ideas about flock protection. But it was too much to try and write down at one time. We should start accumulating these notes into a permanently available form. List the critter, list the danger, list the protection. Brian mentioned that a protector dog might help. They certainly do, that is if people train them to work and not be a couch potato. What wasn't mentioned above about dogs is that they are possibly the top predator of poultry. Beware of your own or the neighbor's dog. Every year we hear of poultry being lost to dog/s. I think that attacks by some of the aerial predators (ravens and eagles) are more insistent in the spring when they are nesting and feeding their young. So there is a seasonal consideration as well. Hanging objects do help deter death from above, Eagles don't like hitting their wings so they are deterred by overhead lines and such but sharp shinned hawks and owls fly like bats and can home in on target like a heat seeking missile. Ravens? I think they could learn to pick locks. But they sure don't like seeing one of their own hanging from a scare crow's hand. Its a jungle out there. Michael
If you string monofilament (invisible fishing line) randomly about 8 feet high over your flock, then the first time that any bird tries to dive into the flock and then hits the fishing line, they will be startled and scared off by the invisible line they did not see. They will also remember that something they cannot understand was there deterring them from landing. Crows have a very good memory and logic pattern. Apparently it also works for cherry trees as well. Harry
My primary piece of advice for you is, and I say this with great respect to everybody here, as a first step to discount advice (including mine) and try your original idea for yourself. See how it works -- you're likely to be surprised. With respect to predators, Salt Spring is not a homogeneous landscape when it comes to predator distribution and behaviour. I live at 300 metres elevation, essentially up the hill on the ridge above the Farmer's Institute. What, on old maps, was called the Otter Range. I've observed an otter in a pond just 400 metres from my house, but in four years raising hundreds of ducks, these otters have yet to take interest in my flock. As for other mustelids, their abundance seems to decline with elevation (and I'd expect this with otters too). If you're on Mt Tuam, you may find that your weasel / mink / otter issues are minimal. On the other hand, you might find it to be an issue. As for eagles: It's all about the swoop zone. They have a hard time getting access to our ducks due to the apple orchard, and the wise habits of ducks. Ducks are quite intelligent creatures, certainly ahead of chickens in that respect. There is not an eagle that soars into view without my flock taking notice and edging towards cover. That said, I did almost lose one Indian Runner a few years ago. I came exploding out of my house yelling bloody murder as the raptor took flight with the duck in it's talons; I threw a rock towards the eagle it released the duck. It fell 30 feet and suffered a long open wound, but the duck, cared for indoors for a few days, made a full recovery. Aside from that, the eagles circle and seem aware of the flock, but don't often try to strike. I've stopped raising smaller ducks now as it's always been the smaller breeds targeted by eagles when they have struck our flock. In Brian's case, it may be that his pond, to which the ducks will gravitate, is an appealing strike zone for eagles. We get mating ospreys up here in the early spring as well and the odd hawk but none have gone for our ducks. Our ducklings free range after about 3.5 weeks and it amazes me that our cats don't eat them, but they leave them alone. The mortalities we have suffered, perhaps a few each season, are to raccoons. Around here, it seems that the raccoons are nocturnal, and it's when ducks create a sitting nest outdoors, as a few will try every year, that they're almost sure to be detected and eaten by a coon. The point I want to express by sharing this is simply that depending on your specific local conditions, you might, like me, suffer an annual mortality of perhaps 3% to predators. To me, that's an acceptable rate of loss. I don't have fences, a dog, or any artificial overhead deterrence. The ducks are entirely free range and make use of a few acres. We have a bigger problem with ravens eating our newborn goats than anything eating our ducks, thankfully! In our specific location, ducks are an incredibly low-maintenance livestock, and a joy to our family. All we do is open and close the duckhouse doors in the morning and night (keep it closed all day and they'll be keen to get in at night) and shovel out the pooped-on wood shavings a few times each season. Place your pond uphill from your garden and enjoy free liquid fertilizer you can siphon into your slug-free veggies. We have two duck houses, but only one in use during the winter. I am a huge proponent of ducks because they offer such great meat and eggs, are easy on the landscape, more disease resistant and far better suited to the climate than chickens, which we previously kept before discovering ducks. When I think about it, I lost more chickens due to culling because they were egg-eaters, than I now lose ducks to predation. So, don't be discouraged by other people's experiences, just try it out and see if your system works in your situation. No two free-range duck farms are the same. Good luck, Tim
It's important to remember the direction of assaults. A dog and an electric wire around the enclosure wire will do for the racoons and otters. The CD disks or my surprisingly successful prayer flags are good for the flying attackers, eagles and hawks -- and ravens too will go for chicks. I put a scramble of multi-coloured string up over the small enclosure which is about forty feet by thirty feet. It doesn't need much. An eagle is adverse into flying down into any area where it can't spread its wings on exit. So you can have big gaps in the spiderweb above the closure. CDs will also hang from them nicely. As for ravens stealing eggs - yes, they've taken goose, duck, and chicken from nests. I found that a few strings hanging from the bird door is enough to make any smart raven twitchy. Ravens, you should be warned, or young ravens in spring, more accurately, can and will and have take out whole flocks of meat bird chicks which are too stupid and slow to dodge the killing frenzies of the young ravens, who will attack despite the warnings of their parents. I have a deal with my ravens, they can pick up scraps from the compost and hen scratch and sheep tex, etc., and the occasional egg, but if they go after any live birds the deal is off, and they know that. Firing a round of .22 rat shot into the ground just behind their tail gets the message across real quick. They're smart birds. Great letter, Tim. And it's true about luck and location. My big ponds make the muscovys into sitting ducks, ahem. I'm desperate to raise some ducks but we're just too open. Geese are tough enough to fight off both coons and eagles. My big Gander, Lucifer, used to chase the horse merely for fun. They're even better guard animals than the peafowl. By the way, though the eagles might be cowardly, they can also be sneaky. My peacock once caught one striding purposefully through the door into the big chicken enclosure. Now that was a fight. The eagle took a bit of a beating, but the peacock was also looking frowsy as well, even though he ended up the victor. The peahens are much more pugnacious, actually, than the cock. I love the ospreys. Interestingly, the wild ducks recognize ospreys. If they see a goshawk they are instantly gone into the reeds. If it's an osprey they won't even ruffle a feather when an osprey hits the water two feet away from where they are swimming. They know the ospreys are fish eaters. Unfortunately, my giant goldfish aren't quite so smart. I don't mind particularly, I love the ospreys too much, and I have millions of very big fat goldfish, so big the herons can kill them but they can't swallow them which is a little annoying, though something else soon finds the corpses....
Our most valuable assets for chicken protection are the roosters. They alarm (using a graduated system depending on the severity of the threat – a short grunt for unspecified aerial predators, a more urgent call for an imminent attack e.g. a diving hawk or eagle, a sustained call and behaviour for mustelids – involving facing the predator, incessant alarms and standing on tip toe while eyeing the enemy). If an attack happens, a good rooster will attack the predator (I have seen them go for ravens, Cooper’s hawks and even mink, they usually win). The only casualties were John Lennon (a bantam cochin) who challenged a raccoon and lost, and another mature Welsummer who challenged a raccoon and was badly beaten. We select roosters for their valor. If there is an alarm I rush out to observe their response – if they run and hide they are for the pot, but if they stand their ground, they are keepers. It is easier to let the hens do the choosing since they spend more time with the roosters. High ranking females prefer to hang out with high ranking roosters so just watch the hens and you will know who is hot (and brave)! I have no experience with ducks and have no idea as to the behaviour of drakes when danger is imminent. I doubt that roosters would socialize with ducks in the same way. We have otters but I have never seen one go for a chicken. There are no Sea Otters in the Salish Sea (well there has been one sighting in the past 100 years) but I doubt they would have any interest in birds on land.

Our raccoons are mostly nocturnal – that’s why we invented hen houses. Our mink are almost always diurnal (we are close to the sea). We never have problems with owls (the birds are locked-up at night). The other aerial predators strike during the day. Only two eagle attacks in 15 years. Neither successful. Quite a few Cooper’s Hawk attacks (they prefer bantams and chicks). Many raccoon incidents usually at night when birds were not locked up – but two years ago I had a wily raccoon who decimated my meat birds (over a period of weeks and usually at 1:30 PM (I don’t know why always at the same time). A few raven attacks always repulsed by the roosters (we usually have 8 to 10 roosters for 70 to 90 hens). On the other thing the hens need is cover – I have live hedges in the runs. When they are free ranging they will make a bee line for cover if a rooster calls an “imminent threat” alarm. If the birds are cooped up in a fenced run or in the house they are much more vulnerable if a mink, hawk or raccoon manages to come in. Don’t use pepper spray inside the hen house unless you are wearing a mask. Good luck – I concur try it and see. I am way too lazy to even contemplate rotational grazing… Jean

Unfortunately Barred Owl do hunt during the day. I've chased off several, but they are probably responsible for a number of missing birds. I've also lost chickens to daytime mink and racoon attacks. There is still too much cover in my run and they can sneak up, but I'm working on at. Christine
I Love our prayer flags, a large fir tree came down, took out all our fencing, the duck house and the chicken coop. all birds survived, including our eggs. Pretty sure the prayer flags saved them......good insurance. Dorothy
And I know this was started as a discussion about free range vs. rotational grazing. Apologies for not discussing my thoughts on rotational grazing. Overall, after some experience, I now feel that rotational grazing has numerous advantageous over free range. But it is more cost and labour demanding and it is harder to have large numbers of birds without a large investment in fencing, tractors etc. The advantages to the land and the stock protection are the two main advantages that I found. Controlled stock rotation gives the ability to plant and manage cover crops, reducing feed cost and improving soil quality while also improving the quality of the meat or eggs. Michael

SALT SPRING ISLAND BEE KEEPERS

We will bee back

INCORPORATION AND FARMING

THE IMPACT

by Tony Clement

The Board of Directors of the Salt Spring Island Farmers’ Institute is monitoring farming issues associated with the Salt Spring Island Incorporation Initiative.
It should be stated that the Salt Spring Island Farmers’ Institute is impartial regarding the Incorporation Study recommendation that a referendum be held and how one should vote. The study provides islanders with an objective assessment on the best form of governance to deliver local services to our community. One request by the Farmers’ Institute is that the Final Report of the Incorporation Study clarify any assumptions about tax increases on farms
Section 9 of the Salt Spring Island Incorporation Study Preliminary Report (released October 30th, 2015) recognizes that farm properties are unique, “as various different property tax exemptions apply to farm land, farm dwellings, and other farm improvements, depending on municipal status” and that “farm dwellings and improvements typically experience higher tax rates after incorporation”.
Tax Increases.
Definition:
A farm building is any structure on the property including the residence, accommodation for seasonal labour, barns. and other farm related out-buildings.
Section 8.4.3 of the Final Study Report provides details on this topic.
• The current Provincial Rural tax exemption applies to both farm dwellings and other farm outbuildings. As noted in the study, other current taxes are applicable. If Salt Spring Island were to incorporate, the general municipal tax would apply to the farm improvements after a 5-year phase in period. Taxes would be phased in by an additional 20% every year for five years.
• A farmers’ dwelling would become 100% taxable for the general municipal tax.
• Prior to 2013, there was an exemption for general municipal taxes for the first $50,000 of assessed value for improvements other than farm dwellings. In 2013, the Province changed this exemption to be the greater of $50,000 or 87.5% of the total assessed value of farm buildings.
Section 9 of the Salt Spring Island Incorporation Study Preliminary Report (released October 30th, 2015) recognizes that farm properties are unique, “as various property tax exemptions apply to farm land, farm dwellings, and other farm improvements, depending on municipal status” and that “farm dwellings and improvements typically experience higher tax rates after incorporation”.
The key points in the Incorporation Study Report
Throughout the Province, farm dwellings and improvements continue to be assessed as Class 1 (Residential) as opposed to Class 9 (Farm). This ‘split’ classification applies regardless of local government status; however, the applicable tax exemptions are different (as noted below and in the Incorporation Study Report).
1. The key impact to farm properties is the tax exemption of farm dwellings and improvements (assessed as Class 1 Residential as opposed to Class 9 farm) under the current governance structure.

While all other applicable property taxes (including taxes for the CRD and the Islands Trust) are applicable for farm dwellings and improvements, they are exempt from the Provincial Rural Tax.
Under an incorporation scenario, this exemption would be removed, and the general municipal tax would apply to farm dwellings (fully) and to improvements (which would be exempt to a maximum of $50,000 in assessed value, or 87.5% of the total assessed value of the buildings, whichever is greater).

The value of the current tax exemption is approximately $56 per $100,000 of assessed value, as articulated in the Incorporation Study Report.
BC Assessment data indicates that there are approximately two hundred (200) farm properties that have a Class 1 (Residential) component exempt from the Provincial Rural Tax. The average assessed value of the Class 1 (Residential) component is approximately $350,000 (improvements only). For the average farm home, the total annual tax impact of incorporation would be $194.

2. Recognizing that farm dwellings and improvements typically experience higher tax rates after incorporation, the Community Charter provides for a 5 year phase-in period of taxes after an incorporation, as outlined in the Incorporation Study Report.
August, 2013, the Salt Spring Island Agricultural Advisory Planning Commission, the Salt Spring Island Farmland Trust Society and the Salt Spring Island Farmers’ Institute reviewed a letter dated, August, 2013, from the District of West Kelowna Agricultural Advisory Committee (Property Assessment Rates on Farm Improvements) which linked incorporation to a rise in property assessment rates on farm improvements such as houses and outbuildings. Incorporation resulted in an average increase of property taxes of 17.5% and an escalation of farm property taxes in the ALR (Agricultural Land Reserve) up to 240%.
3. The Board of Directors of the Farmers’ Institute understands that the Provincial Government has the ability to enforce a limit on municipal taxes that would apply to farm property and not increase as a result of incorporation. However, The Farmers’ Institute is not assured that farmers on this island are fully aware of the potential tax implications of incorporation nor of the mechanisms that would have to be in place for such limitations to be put into effect.
Please see http://www.islandstrust.bc.ca/islands/municipal-incorporation/salt-spring-island/

OUR COMMUNITY REMEMBERS

GROUND WATER LICENCING The New Water Sustainability act.

Non Domestic Use of Ground Water Now Requires A Licence

Many, many, many Varieties

If there is one subject that will get appleholics (yes, Virginia they do exist) really, and I mean really, animated it is the topic of varieties. Varieties come with names that sound like a combination of expensive wine, fine lingerie and rare dog breeds, with a soupcon of arrogance. All descriptions have a required preamble on the date (century/year) the apple was revealed, the original cultivator, the region where the variety was 'discovered' and most importantly its parentage. You want to sort out those bad apples early on in the chain of pomology evolution. Examples: Kamijn de Sonnaville, Esopus Spitzenburg, Eady's Magnum, Pixie Red Sport, Lord Derby Spur Type, Pigeon de Jerusalem, Purpurotter Cousinot, Yellow Ingestrie...You get the idea. APPFACTS reports that there are about 8,000 apple varieties grown world wide including more than 2,500 varieties in North America. The smallest apple is about the size of a pea while there are some large apples the size of a small pumpkin. The largest apple ever picked weighed 3lbs 2oz . My own 2016 harvest recorded a 1 lb 6 oz Mutsu and a 1 lb 3 oz Spigold.

At the 1915 Salt Spring Island Fall Far, prizes were offered for 24 different kinds of apples, one hundred years later, island orchards produced between 350 to 400 apple varieties. Most of these organically grown varieties are on display at Fulford Hall during the Salt Spring Island Apple Festival held annually in October. Not bad numbers for a small island on the BC coast.

Feb. 2017