how old are ducks before i can feed them slugs?

[scatteredeggs]

i have 6 3-week old runner ducklings, out of the brooder, in a floorless run. i have tons of slugs in the yard. i'm wondering if i can throw them to the ducks' pen? if i do, should i give them grit now?

 

[Alicia G]

I would be careful about feeding slugs to them. Where I live we have a type of slug called a banana slug, they are a yellow or gold color and can get fairly large, but the problem with these guys is when threatened they will produce a 'glue' over there body and if an animal tries to eat it, it can gum up there mouth. I almost lost a call duck after she tried to eat one of these slimy slugs. Now I don't know if all slugs do this, but its something I would watch for IMO.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
the slugs we have a dark colored and our little ducklings whos a month old eats them without a problem, the adults too. Probably just depends on the type of slug. they all are slimy

 

[scatteredeggs]

i see two kinds of slugs - both dark colored. one can get long and narrower than my finger, the other kind can be as long and thick like my thumb. i thew a couple of slender ones but i did not stay long to see if the ducks gobbled it up.

i hate those slugs - they killed one of my newly planted pepper and zucchini plants a couple of weeks back. now i check 3x a day so see if one is infesting the garden.

i said - wait till i let loose those runners!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
I hardly ever see slugs, grasshoppers, crickets, or much of anything else with 9 ducks and 30 something chickens

the ducks even ate my praying mantis's. oh well.

 

[Oregon Blues]

Take a look at the size of the duck's throat and the size of the slug.

Is the slug going to slide down the throat OK? If the slugs are too large, you might have to chop them up.

Or wait a week or two. Ducklings grow really fast.