ducks

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by grease, Mar 24, 2009.

  1. grease

    grease Junior Member

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    What are the best ducks for pest control in the vegie garden?
     
  2. kimbo.parker

    kimbo.parker Junior Member

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    Re: ducks

    Hi,
    to my mind not vegetarian ducks like muscovy (which are actually a goose) because they eat the garden and not the pests.
    not Pekings because they are too noisy - irritating.
    I'm torn between Indian Runners and Khaki Cambell,,,

    if there was duck breeding in mind, Khaki Cambell are better mothers.
    if there was duck eating in mind, Indian Runners.

    good luck,
    regards, Kimbo
     
  3. grease

    grease Junior Member

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    Re: ducks

    Thanks for that info kimbo.parker . Khaki Campells sound like the right ones for my backyard.

    Regards Michael.
     
  4. Michaelangelica

    Michaelangelica Junior Member

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    Re: ducks

    Awwwwwww but Mucovies are so intelligent, inquisitive, have such great personalities, and are bog-ugly.
    O, I remember they love chillies-so they can bugger off.
    I remember reading somewhere that geese don't eat lavender. So if you had a lavender farm/ patch they could keep it weeded for you. Possibly just a gradener's fantasy.
    Indian runners look startled and crossed with a giraffe-or someone has tried to strangle them..

    I visited the Domestic Fowl Trust in Stratford, were else, but in England. They love to twitter there. The DFT happened to be having an open day as I drove past, Barded out.
    It was one of the best days of my life. I have never seen so many varieties of ducks -hundred, all very different, all in their own little pens-(open at the top!-their fox-hunting is obviously better than ours).

    On ducks & hunting can anyone explain to me how it is sporting to shoot a couple of hundred pellets into a flock of ducks on the wing?
    Native ducks must be tougher than a long boiled-brick to eat. So why?
    How come hunters can't go and shoot the 1/2+ million Feral Camels we have eating the country bare?
    This would then provide food for the Feral pigs, foxes, dogs and cats.

    I'm probably being unfair, as I have never hunted ducks, I guess the native Wild Ones are really savage and would bite you arm off in a flash.

    Duck season now in Tas. Vic SA. :-(
    SA surprises me as they have a High Court Challenge about what used to be the River Murray. Just call me Murray now?
    I thought ducks liked to up-tail-paddle a bit in 'fresish' water? So has SA got a stash of fresh water they are not telling us about? :bear:
     
  5. kimbo.parker

    kimbo.parker Junior Member

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    Re: ducks-Michaelangelica

    mikey
    they shit in your dam man.
    my cousin got a diagnosis of some food intolerance that had him eating like a retarded rabbit for dam near 6 months.

    one day he checked the small filter box on his water intake----full of duck shit man!
    and he'd been eating like a rabbit :lol:

    it doesn't get down to 'what's sporting',,,you'd be shooting to kill if you had 50 whistler ducks crapping in your dam.

    unless
    you have an aquaculture,,,yabbies which depend on duck turd for nutrition....the guys with the guns clearly dont.
    regards, Kimbo
     
  6. Ev

    Ev Junior Member

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    Re: ducks

    I have 3 appleyards and 1 muscovy, wouldn't really go for one or the other regarding pests.

    Mallard types : good noisy alarms day or night,male is all show....

    Muscovy : eats some of the chook scraps too, quiet...male is protective

    Ideally I would have 2 appleyard ducks,1 muscovy duck and a muscovy drake.

    Note: spoken by person who has never had a dominant muscovy drake, sadly because they tasted so yummy, and if I let them live they would have sooner or later belted my Appleyard drake
     
  7. reddirt

    reddirt Junior Member

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    Re: ducks

    As far as duck hunting goes,I was a long time hunter before the Qld government decided that it wasnt an appropriate pastime for Queenslanders anymore. This decision was not based on the sustainability of waterfowl numbers in anyway as this had been managed well for many years, by means of bag limits, closed seasons and only a select number of species were available to hunt. In dry years the seasons were shortened or even not opened to hunting at all. All this helped to ensure sustainability of the resource. The decision to abandon duck hunting in this state was down to animal welfare groups and the cruelty aspect of it all. This is a worrying trend when you take time to look at the insane vision for the world that Groups like PETA expouse on their website.

    As for the sporting side of it, non hunters may be suprised to know that it is not easy to hit a duck flying at up to 60kmh plus with a shotgun. Through into the mix that they could appear from any direction, flying at any angle ( unlike the more predictable clay pidgeons ) and the fact that they can see you and alter course all make the whole thing pretty challanging.

    As far as eating, wild ducks are delicious, their meat is superior to domestic duck without a doubt. I used to raost in oven bags and the meat would melt in your mouth. The only trouble is the smaller size of the wild ducks.



    Anyway. As I cant legally hunt them anymore, I am looking from 3 or 4 indian runners for the backyard, Ive head they are good layers as well as meat birds. Funny, these will end up the same as the wild birds , but with no chance to escape
     
  8. ilvpermaculture

    ilvpermaculture Junior Member

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    Re: ducks

    I am about to order some Muscovy ducks, hopefully keep the flies population down on my property. Was I miss informed?
     
  9. paradisi

    paradisi Junior Member

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    Re: ducks

    My muscovies used to love snails - - and I taught them to come to hand by feeding scraps of mince

    any duck will be good for the garden, but will dig little holes with their beaks everywhere - - and squat on your lillies and daffies because the green leaves are comfortable LOL
     
  10. ho-hum

    ho-hum New Member

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    Re: ducks

    Michaelangelica,

    I take your point about duck shooting. I have shot one duck and we ate it [for christmas dinner] whilst camping many years ago. However, I still supported the duck hunters pursuit due to the controls/seasons etc imposed and resented very much the city-based anti-duck hunting lobby. Duck hunting has been a cultural pursuit for generations and this became a wedge issue for animal rights extremists and their city campaigns. I love seeing the wild ducks on every dam around and wouldnt think of shooting another one but I uphold the cultural right of licenced hunters to bag a few for the pot.

    I know/knew a lot of duckhunters and all of them also used their shotguns to take out foxes and cats at every opportunity. All were avid feral animal hunters and we are seeing widespread increases of feral animals since the 1996 gun buyback and the increased restrictions. It was also very much a father/son exclusive activity, many young australians were introduced to the bush going out with dad on opening day.

    I have hunted [once] magpie geese in the Northern Territory and got 5, all were consumed. I dont know any NT hunters who shoot ducks even though we do have a season here.

    Ducks:

    I dont find Pekins too noisy. I do like Runners, their upright habit also makes them less ''bulldozer-ish'' in the garden. Muscovies are good layers, good mothers and make excellent domestic table birds. Still hard to beat fresh wild duck though cooked slowly in the camp oven with half an orange in there.

    cheers,
     

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