Ducks?

[seedjar]

I have some issues with the slug population dwelling in the woodland that borders my lot. Namely, they're huge, they eat my plants, and sometimes at night when I don't see them I'll slip on one and fall. I know ducks are great for slug control and I find them quite charming, so I was thinking about keeping a small flock on the shady side of my yard. Does anyone keep flocks of their own here? I was thinking it would be a good project to start on this summer after my planting is done.
~Joe

 

[Roarbark]

The slugs are big enough for you to step on them, slip and fall? They must be HUGE! or just some different species that doesn't live in Hawaii... How big are they?

 

[ktulu]

If the slugs are that big I think you need a shotgun not ducks. LOL.

I have never had ducks of my own but know many farmers who have them.

What kind of ducks are you looking to get? This makes a big difference as to what you need for them and how they will act for you.

Also you need to get at least a pair of them though you can have a group of just females if you are concerned about ending up with more ducks than you know what to do with. Also be warned they can be destructive to vegetation if they decided it looks good to eat or tromp over. They do eat insects quite proficiently and you will be hard pressed to find a bug big enough for them to eat any where that they roam through.

 

[Finch]

i think runner ducks are the ones used in slug control...

 

[seedjar]

Perfect - runners are the kind I wanted anyways because I want eggs, not tons of babies. Plus, indian runners totally look like those umbrellas with the handles shaped like ducks' heads, which is more than enough reason for me to want some. As for their eating crops... that's probably just a risk I'll have to take. But, I plan to pen them away from most of my plants; ideally, I'd like to fence them in on the edge of my property that borders the woods, so that any migrating slugs have to make it past the duck run first. If I can find the space, I might also make a narrow corridor that runs the main length of my vegetable rows so that they can hang out near the crops but won't be able to actually trample them.
And yes, the slugs are... really big. A normal big one is six or seven inches long, and if you squish it you get a slick spot about 8"x4", more than enough to slip on if it's right beneath your foot and you aren't expecting it. I think they're banana slugs, but they don't look at all like bananas to me.
~Joe

 

[theyellowdart]

Can you post pics of them? I've never seen or heard of a slug that big.

 

[seedjar]

I'm not really in the habit of taking pictures of things I squish accidentally. I'm sure you can find it if you Google "big northwestern slug," though.
~Joe

 

[PlantAKiss]

I had ducks for pets when I was little and I loved them. They are funny and really sweet. They ate LOADS of Japanese beetles. They knew what time they got penned at night and would come get me in the neighborhood if I were late. I had Pekin ducks so eggs were rare and never hatched. But they were a lot of fun.

 

[Trapper7]

They probably are Banana slugs. Those things are huge!