So in terms of slug control, khakies are probably my best bet.Jay Angler wrote:
Andrew Mayflower wrote:If you want a duck that will provide lean meat, and go broody at the drop of a feather for any eggs (so chicken, turkey, etc eggs are as good as ducks to them) Muscovy ducks may be your ticket. They're the only domestic duck not descended from Mallards. They're originally a native, wild South American breed, IIRC.
Yes, but most of my Muscovy turn their bills up at slugs. My Khakies hoover them up and look at me as if to say, "What - that's all?" and that includes the huge slugs that grow here on the Wet Coast - not just those wimpy little grey ones. Ducks also tend to be more garden compatible than chickens, who I agree, are generally not keen on slugs.
Being raised by real mom's in the great outdoors is a help, and I've been told that Golden 300's aren't keen slug eaters, but if you put ex-factory farm birds out for an hour or two so they start to get hungry and then show up with a container of slugs and start tossing them to the ducks, that may help them figure it out. Make *sure* they've got lots of water handy the first time, as they may need it to help until they figure out the technique. Our slugs seem to have a "reaction" to danger which is to produce a bunch of extra slime. My ducks seem to figure that out and realize the way to go is with a quick grab and swallow!
Laurel Jones wrote:My ducks never really developed a taste for slugs, but perhaps that's because they didn't have access to them as ducklings.I've heard this is abnormal however, but figured it was worth the mention in case the ducks you end up with don't go for them.