Our month old Bronze Turkeys have taken over the end of the barn next to the bulb processing equipment. They were "grafted" onto a broody Buff Orpington hen when day-old and she kept them warm and safe until they could forage on their own. "Turkey Momma" rejoined the rest of our free-ranging flock, but the turkeys decided they had enough of "hen speak" and instead stick closer to the barn. They'll perch on anything, but the trick here seemed to be holding still long enough to keep the picking basket from collapsing. One finally stretched and "flapped" and down they went. A few more pounds each and its a "no-go" for sure.
Behind the shipping building however, our beautiful assortment of Ancona Duckings (from Boondockers Farm in Oregon) are conferencing; perhaps on the possibility of a volley of slugs sailing over the fence soon from weeding - or more likely - should they head back to their stock tank swimming pool?
We have Boondocker Ancona Ducks too! Aren't they the best! Mine have been so healthy and do a great job of eating slugs in my dahlia garden. It is only after they ate up all the slugs and other buglets that they started on the dahlia leaves. Now they go out to forage for the afternoons out on our 4 acres. The personalities of the Anconas are so much easier to live with then the many of breeds we have tried over the years. I am having NO Slug damage and very few ear wigs in my dahlias which my customers really appreciate!
ReplyDeleteNo slug chews, just duck bites, right? (smile). I'm so happy to hear of your success with the Anconas, the slugs only damage the lily sprouts where there is grass on the border of the field, but I despise grabbing a clump of weed and encountering slime - gloves or not. Our Tufted Roman geese help to alert the ducks of predators, keep the grass and clover mowed (and fertilized), but have no interest in mollusks. The ducks are so cute, that I'd rather just keep them around the house area and not let them into the field rows, but the geese would be jealous of the attention (and kale from the garden).
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