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Thinking about ducks (urban garden)

 
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Mithril



Joined: 22 Jul 2011
Posts: 1755
Location: wessex
PostPosted: Mon Aug 11, 14 3:37 pm    Post subject: Thinking about ducks (urban garden) Reply with quote
    

Are ducks really a good solution to a serious slug problem? We do nightly slug hunts but are still losing the battle. I could extend the permanent area I have my bantams in to include a concrete section (has a dilapidated shed on it atm). I could place a paddling pool on there. The bantams only have the run of the whole garden from late autumn until spring or they wreck the place. Are ducks any better? Will they get the slugs but leave my veg alone? I grow things in a polyculture / mini forest garden style.

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45374
Location: yes
PostPosted: Tue Aug 12, 14 11:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

a hedgehog might be less destructive ,quieter and keener on slugicide

maybe see if the hh rescues have any that need a semi domestic adoption?

Shan



Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 9075
Location: South Wales
PostPosted: Tue Aug 12, 14 5:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I agree with Dpack. Ducks are messy and noisy and messy and did I mention messy? The males are also sex maniacs.

chez



Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35934
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset
PostPosted: Tue Aug 12, 14 5:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I hate to join in the chorus of sensibility, but I think they are right.

Although, I reckon that if you have them in the veg garden right when the weather warms up - when you'd first think about putting down nematodes, basically - they will eat all they can find and that really helps. If you have them in much longer, they eat *everything else*, too. But you could always borrow a couple for a few weeks?

My other suggestion would be two bantam ladies - Appleyards, maybe? No boys. Shan is right. Male ducks will shag anything. My Cream Legbar cockerel was never the same.

Mithril



Joined: 22 Jul 2011
Posts: 1755
Location: wessex
PostPosted: Tue Aug 12, 14 7:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

OK, I'll forget the ducks :sniff: (Was looking forward to duck eggs too).

Hedgehogs are always got at by my dogs - I'd hate to introduce any knowing how crazy my dogs are for them.

Nematodes it is then.

sueshells



Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 690
Location: North Bucks
PostPosted: Tue Aug 12, 14 9:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Chez wrote:
I hate to join in the chorus of sensibility, but I think they are right.

Although, I reckon that if you have them in the veg garden right when the weather warms up - when you'd first think about putting down nematodes, basically - they will eat all they can find and that really helps. If you have them in much longer, they eat *everything else*, too. But you could always borrow a couple for a few weeks?

My other suggestion would be two bantam ladies - Appleyards, maybe? No boys. Shan is right. Male ducks will shag anything. My Cream Legbar cockerel was never the same.


My Standard Poodle male seemed to quite enjoy it. (But he was very odd).

Cathryn



Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion
PostPosted: Wed Aug 13, 14 6:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Mithril wrote:
OK, I'll forget the ducks :sniff: (Was looking forward to duck eggs too).

Hedgehogs are always got at by my dogs - I'd hate to introduce any knowing how crazy my dogs are for them.

Nematodes it is then.


My sister has a medium sized urban garden with a vegetable plot a pond and lovely flower borders. She has had all the warnings and now owns two duck and two drakes, miniature appleyards who are theoretically not allowed in the pond but have their own at the bottom of the garden. I'll let you know how she gets on.

Mithril



Joined: 22 Jul 2011
Posts: 1755
Location: wessex
PostPosted: Wed Aug 13, 14 6:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Cathryn wrote:
Mithril wrote:
OK, I'll forget the ducks :sniff: (Was looking forward to duck eggs too).

Hedgehogs are always got at by my dogs - I'd hate to introduce any knowing how crazy my dogs are for them.

Nematodes it is then.


My sister has a medium sized urban garden with a vegetable plot a pond and lovely flower borders. She has had all the warnings and now owns two duck and two drakes, miniature appleyards who are theoretically not allowed in the pond but have their own at the bottom of the garden. I'll let you know how she gets on.


Look forward to hearing. Fingers crossed for her garden

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