do ducks eat slugs?

[Catstar68]

My old hippie horticulture professor (who was a permaculture advocate) always said "You don't have a slug infestation, you have a duck deficiency"

 

[spinn]

OK...so, I'm just curious. Are we talking little slugs? Or will ducks actually eat the bigger (3+ inches) type as well? I grew up in NW Washington, and some of the slugs are HUGE!

 

[nivtup]

We have had ducks for three years.

I have not seen very many slugs on our property in 3 years. An occasional slug under a board......


And yes we live in slug country.

 

[Happyflower]

Yup they eat the big nasty ones too! There is an old thread about that here from a couple of months ago, where the slugs parts just ooze out foamy from the duck's beak.

(don't know what happens at the other end though)

 

[spinn]

Quote:
EEEWWWWW!

 

[BC Gal]

I am just north of you and I know of the slugs you are talking about. You put a leash on them and take them for a walk they are so huge! lol I am not sure about all ducks, but muscovy ducks think slugs are the best tasting thing in the world! An old neighbor had muscovies and they loved slugs, as well, the breeder I got my EEs from has several types of ducks, but it was his muscovies that love eating slugs - we got talking about it because slugs are such a big problem here.

 

[eco2pia]

Yay! I got my DH to say we can definately get ducklings in spring!! Death to all slugs!! Thanks guys!

 

[Wokawidget]

Like many people here I haven't had slugs in my garden for a good while...3 chickens and 2 ducks take care of that.
This is great!!!...but their are downsides.

1) They eat anything smaller than a fist that moves...and if it doesn't move they bash it until it does...then eat it. This includes almost all pond wildlife.
2) Veggie patches need protecting...they munch on the slugs 1st, then move onto the lettuce, or anything else that is remotely green that they shouldn't eat, for dessert!
3) If you're squeemish then watching a duck chow down on a 4" slug can churn your stomach.
4) If you get close to a duck gobbling a huge slug then they have a tendancy to shake their head...you will more than likely be splattered with slug entrails.
5) After the duck has feasted on a monster slug you may want to lob it in the pond...slug entrails and slime everywhere.

I moved some rocks in the garden the other day and my little runner spent 2 hrs chomping on the moster 4" black and red slugs that were lurking in the damp shelter. She made a right mess of herself and me!

Woka

 

[priss]

My three call ducks have completely cleaned the garden out of slugs, so much so that they have to bust into the nieghbour's gardens to find more. I agree with the previous posts too! De-gakking a duck is gross. Rory once ate so many slugs after busting into the neighbour's that he slimed up his whole beak. Ackkkkkk.
Sometimes they like to put them in the waterbowl to nom on later...

 

[Happyflower]

One of the reasons I wanted ducks was for pest control and natural fertilizer for my garden, but what I didn't realizes is that I wouldn't have a garden to worry about either, because they ducks will eat the garden along with the pests. If I had more property I could probably separate part off for a garden, but I live in the city with only so much land.