Thinking about ducks (urban garden)

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Thinking about ducks (urban garden)

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Mithril

Joined: 22 Jul 2011
Posts: 1755
Location: wessex

Posted: Mon Aug 11, 14 3:37 pm Post subject: Thinking about ducks (urban garden)

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: 46249
Location: yes

Posted: Tue Aug 12, 14 11:05 am Post subject:
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

Posted: Tue Aug 12, 14 5:32 pm Post subject:
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: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Tue Aug 12, 14 5:37 pm Post subject:

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

Posted: Tue Aug 12, 14 7:13 pm Post subject:
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

Posted: Tue Aug 12, 14 9:10 pm Post subject:

Chez wrote:

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

Cathryn

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Wed Aug 13, 14 6:02 am Post subject:

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

Posted: Wed Aug 13, 14 6:41 pm Post subject:

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.

Look forward to hearing. Fingers crossed for her garden

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