Author Topic: Slug Patrol. (Read 3365 times)

Bodger · « **on:** September 30, 2013, 07:32:04 pm »

Every morning our brave band of happy gardeners sally forth out into our orchards to do battle with the host of slugs and creepy crawlies that inhabit them. Crunch, crunch, munch munch!

We keep a mixed flock of about twenty ducks and as well as doing us great service by controlling pests and giving us terrific eggs, their comic antics are also fabulous to watch. If you ever get the opportunity to keep ducks, then I can heartily recommend that you seize it. We love our ducks.

The Head Gardener

We have Pied, White and Streicher Indian Runners, as well as Khaki and White Campbells. Hopefully we should have some pure hatching eggs available in early spring.

lord flynn · « **Reply #1 on:** September 30, 2013, 07:41:07 pm »

I love ducks, had them when I was a kid. I am very tempted to get a couple when we move

Bodger · « **Reply #2 on:** September 30, 2013, 08:20:32 pm »

You wont regret it.

Eastling · « **Reply #3 on:** September 30, 2013, 08:27:16 pm »

I agree, they do some very funny things. We've only got five but hopefully will add a few more soon.

Penninehillbilly · « **Reply #4 on:** September 30, 2013, 08:32:02 pm »

I loved my call ducks, how they 'hoovered' across the 'lawn

', splashing about in the stone trough, coming and telling me when they wanted some food.
unfortunatley it broke me when the fox decided he loved them too, I gave the survivor away (to a good home!)

Beeducked · « **Reply #5 on:** September 30, 2013, 10:04:38 pm »

I love mine too and can't imagine ever being without them. Love the geese too but they aren't quite as tree friendly as the ducks.

Lawn mowers, pest control and fertilizers all in one in addition to food for the soul.

Penninehillbilly · « **Reply #6 on:** September 30, 2013, 10:50:16 pm »

Quote from: Beeducked on September 30, 2013, 10:04:38 pm

I love mine too and can't imagine ever being without them. Love the geese too but they aren't quite as tree friendly as the ducks.
Lawn mowers, pest control and fertilizers all in one in addition to food for the soul.

I still miss my little quackers, the final nail was last June, but we also had stoats and at one point mink. I would rather be without than finding (or mostly not finding and spending hours looking) their poor little bodies, I can't bear the thought of going through that again, and after Calls, to me nothing else can match for character, little ducks who thought they could take on the world

.
They did have problems dealing with big slugs - I would go and cut the big ones in half for them,

.
Not sure I love the geese though, like watching them occasionally, wish I could tell which were ganders $:-\$

HesterF · « **Reply #7 on:** October 01, 2013, 09:53:05 pm »

We're half way through having an enormous fox proof fence put up around our new apple/pear orchard. Should be big enough for the geese, ducks, chickens and some turkeys (maybe) to have plenty of space all in their own area as well as helping our trees. My only worry is that I've got mulch mats around all the trees at the moment as they're all still little and I suspect there won't be much left of them soon. Given we are infested with foxes at the moment - I regularly see them playing in the field above ours which is only about 200m away - it's the only way I can bear to let them out, even if it has cost an absolute fortune.

H