Slugs

[The witch]

Did you know that slugs have about 27,000 teeth and they will eat faecal matter?

www.treesforlife.org.uk/forest/species/blackslug.html

But the black slug (Arion ater) is less destructive and will eat rotting vegetation, fungi, manure and even dead animals

www.cf.ac.uk/biosi/research/biodiversity/staff/wocs2.html

[plocket]

I still don't like them though!!!

[cheerypeabrain]

I applied more nemaslug this morning ;D So far it's been successful...only seen one or two sickly looking little slugs in the GH in 6 weeks! I don't put it on the compost bin tho as they're useful there aren't they...?

[maggyd]

Did you know that slugs scream when you through them over the fence?

[The witch]

.......... and so they should

[sweetleaf]

And then they come back, Maggyd!

[4pygmies]

Homing slugs..in a way, that's quite sweet.
I actually had to put wildlife friendly slug pellets down today....first time for years. I think I need more chickens.

[sweetleaf]

I think so too, yours are getting a bit long in the beak now arent they? They would be the boss of any new chickens, as well ,wouldnt they?

Which would you get if you bought some now?

[4pygmies]

Marans, same as the old ladies. Buff Orpingtons - beautiful fluffy lovelies and maybe Rhode Island Reds cos they have such a lot of personality. My last one, Beryl, used to talk to me all the time I was in the garden. She was a good gal.
They cost a fair bit nowadays although not if you factor in the totally sumptuous eggs you get for months at a time I suppose. Actually, that's rubbish. They're very cheap really!

[sweetleaf]

How cheap is cheap?

[4pygmies]

The ones I buy are Rare Breeds or Old Breeds and I think they are about £12 each. If you rescue battery birds they are free or about 50p each. Isn't that sad? If it wasn't for the rats I would have another run for rescue birds. It takes a while to rehabilitate them as they can barely walk and have none of the natural behaviour patterns. It would be cruel to put them in with free ranging toughies. I did have some when I first started to keep chooks and we had to lift them onto their perches at night for a while as they had no idea what to do. I do think factory farming is utterly barbaric and a great sin! They were sweet little characters but they didn't live very long lives. Not like the old breeds. Poor little souls.

[sweetleaf]

£12 does seem very cheap, I suppose you need a lot of equipment though? How much do you spend on feed?

[4pygmies]

I buy a bag of wild bird food for about £6 which lasts me a month (and I fill up the hangers on the beach hut every day too) Plus they have a bit of fresh straw when they need it in the hut, plus they eat all the scraps like peas, sweetcorn, bread, pasta. Not much really when you consider free range eggs cost such a lot. Oh, plus the house of course although when I first started we converted the end of the shed for them with a peep hole out to a run.
Why, are you considering getting some?

[sweetleaf]

How do they get on with cats first? And yes, Id love to


www.downthelane.net/chickenhousing.html


Talk to me about chicken housing ....two chickens would be ok in the ark type then? It looks small to me

[4pygmies]

My cats don't take any notice of them - but then they are bigger than them!

[maggyd]

sweetleaf said:

And then they come back, Maggyd!

I know S but I throw them on to a path that goes into a small park and the blackbirds are all over it in the mornings so I hope they get them. The woman behind me thinks Im cruel putting slug pellets down she is an idiot no wonder I have a problem!! but I darent use them now because of Teddy he eats anything out there he is a nightmare.

[The witch]

Quite wise maggyd

www.cat.org.uk/ihateslugs/slugpellets.tmpl

but on the otherhand -

www.gardenseeker.com/slug_pellets.htm

[maggyd]

That was very interesting The witch, it makes you think doesnt it? is it worth it I think I will stick to picking them up putting them in a polythene bag and binning them or take them for a walk into the woods.