The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Bodger on August 14, 2013, 03:35:14 pm

Title: Ducks in the Orchard.
Post by: Bodger on August 14, 2013, 03:35:14 pm

Our ducks have free range through out our orchards for most of the year. By letting them have license to roam, we are able to harness their rapacious appetite for bugs, slugs and creepy crawlies and manage to keep many of the pest species in check. We took these pictures at the weekend and they show our ducks guarding our apples.
 

(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/003-3.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/003-3.jpg.html)
 

(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/007-1.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/007-1.jpg.html)
 

(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/008.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/008.jpg.html)
 

(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/009.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/009.jpg.html)
 

(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/010-1.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/010-1.jpg.html)
 

(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/011.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/011.jpg.html)
 

(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/014-1.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/014-1.jpg.html)
 

(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/015-1.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/015-1.jpg.html)
 

(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/018-1.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/018-1.jpg.html)
 

(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/021-1.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/021-1.jpg.html)

Title: Re: Ducks in the Orchard.
Post by: mowhaugh on August 14, 2013, 09:12:18 pm

lovely photos, thank you for sharing them

Title: Re: Ducks in the Orchard.
Post by: HesterF on August 14, 2013, 10:12:09 pm

Looks great! I'm getting quotes in to fox proof our newly planted orchard so I can give the geese a bit more room and split up breeding groups for the ducks too. Is yours fenced? Trouble with ours is that we quite often see foxes free ranging through by day....

H

Title: Re: Ducks in the Orchard.
Post by: Brucklay on August 14, 2013, 10:21:03 pm

Perfect duck habitat and it work both ways - success - I think mine keep nasty bugs down in the sheep paddocks still very useful.


Beautiful orchard by the way - I now have cider in my head!!

Title: Re: Ducks in the Orchard.
Post by: Mammyshaz on August 14, 2013, 10:31:27 pm

Wow, that's an orchard! Looks great. Duck paradise, they have so much space.