Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Duck Drover]

I am having a hard time getting my phone to cooperate and allow me to scroll down to the bottom of the text box so I have to reply above the quote.

I have found that my ducks are the best slug hunters around. The back yard is free and clear of slugs and snails so I find an occasional one in the front yard that I throw back there for the ducks to find. I had snails all over my trees in past years but the ducks have cleaned them up too. All it takes is a drake pair to patrol the area and they are more fun to watch than snakes, in my opinion. Do you have to worry about snakes getting eggs or chicks? I did not think snakes were good to have around poultry but then I also did not know they eat slugs. I was always told if you have snakes you have mice so the snakes were an indication that there was a rodent population that was providing an abundant food supply. I was also told if you see one snake there are many more you don't see. In Colorado we had Salamanders living under our chicken coop.

Dang. I'm very sorry about your rooster. That sucks and I'd be more than a bit irritated. 

I'd knew that the earthworms were hosts, but didn't know that slugs were. I didn't really see any garter snakes here last year, but this year there has been a lot of young ones. I'm careful with them and move them if I have to so I can keep them safe. There is one living around the pots at the back of the house. It comes out and suns on the steps and slithers away when we open the door. 

 

[Hinotori]

The only snakes I've seen here have been different garters. They are pretty small, though the one that got into the house twice a couple years ago was a big one. It could have eaten a mouse, or baby rats. We had to move it out to the fence three times before it got the hint. The third time we caught it on the back step. There are no longer any gaps at the bottoms of our doors. We fixed them.

I'm not afraid of snakes even growing up over on the dry side with rattlesnakes. We used to catch garter snakes to play with, then we'd let them go where we found them.

It may be the lack of garter snakes last year is why we had such a rodent problem.

We have a big pond that comes onto our property. Wild ducks and geese are out there all year. I've thought about getting a few runner ducks, but I'd have to fence.

I don't know if the little things I've found here are salamanders. I just move them to a safe place when I find them. I also check the recycle bin before I put it out and fish out any frogs that have gotten in there. I like the nice diverse amount of species we have here. Except the stupid deer that eat my trees.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

I am having a hard time getting my phone to cooperate and allow me to scroll down to the bottom of the text box so I have to reply above the quote.

I have found that my ducks are the best slug hunters around. The back yard is free and clear of slugs and snails so I find an occasional one in the front yard that I throw back there for the ducks to find. I had snails all over my trees in past years but the ducks have cleaned them up too. All it takes is a drake pair to patrol the area and they are more fun to watch than snakes, in my opinion. Do you have to worry about snakes getting eggs or chicks? I did not think snakes were good to have around poultry but then I also did not know they eat slugs. I was always told if you have snakes you have mice so the snakes were an indication that there was a rodent population that was providing an abundant food supply. I was also told if you see one snake there are many more you don't see. In Colorado we had Salamanders living under our chicken coop.

Dang. I'm very sorry about your rooster. That sucks and I'd be more than a bit irritated. 

I'd knew that the earthworms were hosts, but didn't know that slugs were. I didn't really see any garter snakes here last year, but this year there has been a lot of young ones. I'm careful with them and move them if I have to so I can keep them safe. There is one living around the pots at the back of the house. It comes out and suns on the steps and slithers away when we open the door. 

The only snake on this side of the mountains big enough to take even a bantam chick is the Rubber Boa, which is shy, rare, and lives mostly under the leaf- litter layer of forest soils. The biggest gartersnake I have, a black-and-yellow female about 18 inches long, can take Starling eggs but mostly sticks to the ground and eats slugs and large insects. (and baby rodents, which is a lot of the reason the worst rat problem is in the late fall-early spring time).

Ducks are fascinating but I'm in enough trouble with cows, chickens, and the worlds most spoiled Jacob wether.

 

[Totalcolour]

Ducks are fascinating but I'm in enough trouble with cows, chickens, and the worlds most spoiled Jacob wether.

But You don't need to provide anything for ducks. We just turned our babies loose and they are eating bugs and grasses (and sneaking chicken food by pushing heads through the fence). They have no coop, or shelter. They live in the tall grasses and are doing really well. We have noticed a huge drop in insects and bugs since turning them loose. You might want to consider it. They are the MOST trouble free of all our critters! Ours seem to be Kevlar coated, and no worms!

 

[Totalcolour]

Well, I missed something important in one of the chicks. The splash with the pouffy face that I thought was an Am/Aus has feathered legs, so must not be an AmX after all. But, it has a pouffy face! Looks like a pullet too, judging from the wing feathers at hatching.



Guess I'll have to contact Cowgirl Grace for a couple of Ams. I'm delighted with this one though! Must be a splash Marans with a beard - how cool!

 

[mikeyb]

What are the best tasting ducks? I know very little about ducks.

 

[CarolynF]

Well, I missed something important in one of the chicks. The splash with the pouffy face that I thought was an Am/Aus has feathered legs, so must not be an AmX after all. But, it has a pouffy face! Looks like a pullet too, judging from the wing feathers at hatching.



Guess I'll have to contact Cowgirl Grace for a couple of Ams. I'm delighted with this one though! Must be a splash Marans with a beard - how cool!

What a little cutey pie. Fluff and puff in all the right places.

I love the Am I got from CGG, very good natured. I was so surprised when she did a little squat for me today! Will these young 'uns start laying soon? We will seeeeeeeeeee (she says with eyes glued to the coop).

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Ducks are fascinating but I'm in enough trouble with cows, chickens, and the worlds most spoiled Jacob wether.

But You don't need to provide anything for ducks. We just turned our babies loose and they are eating bugs and grasses (and sneaking chicken food by pushing heads through the fence). They have no coop, or shelter. They live in the tall grasses and are doing really well. We have noticed a huge drop in insects and bugs since turning them loose. You might want to consider it. They are the MOST trouble free of all our critters! Ours seem to be Kevlar coated, and no worms!

There's also the thing where I accidentally on purpose locked myself into a pen full of muscovies when I was two and am scared to death of the things.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

OK, well, there are noises under Cheery, and I finally got the photos for the wedding copied.

Except I just realized I forgot to attach them to the email.

It is entirely possible I need a nap.

 

[Totalcolour]

What are the best tasting ducks? I know very little about ducks.

Hmm, each person would like for different things. Muscovies are all dark meat and very lean. The leanest of all ducks, and very rich meat. Pekins are more like chicken, light but very fatty. My favourite is a Muscovy/Pekin, in Britain called a moulard or Barbary.

You can get Pekin ducks in the frozen section at Safeway. (Why does my spell checker want to put a "g" on the end of Pekin? Stupid person who wrote the dictionary.)