pests Ducks for pest control

AJ Drew

AJ Drew

Our pekins will pick a potato bug off a plant and hardly even move a leaf.  They just about ignore everything in the garden except bugs.  Our muscovy are another story.  They will destroy any tomato they can reach.  They will chomp threw a cucumber and trying to grow strawberry at ground level is pointless while they are roaming around.  However, they will barely touch peppers.  The same is true of our chicken.

I had understood birds can not feel the burn.  Anyone have a clue what it is that makes them ignore peppers?  I'd figure something bright in color would have them running for lunch.
 
My chickens like peppers.  I feed them as a snack occasionally.  I also feed them any tomatoes that something knocks off the plant and starts to eat.  No duck xp though.
 
I'd have to say the only animal that has ever aided me in farming was a horse-gardening my fat cat lays out there and gives me someone to argue with. If there is a duck in my garden its dinner
 
I've read birds have the correct pain receptors for capsaicin but for whatever reason they're inactive. Also birds don't destroy seed during digestion so it's a win win for both the birds and the peppers
 
Now that I think on it, there is a folk remedy for a rooster that will not do its job.  You scatter crumpled up cayenne pepper seed for it.  It irritates the urethra or what ever you call it in a rooster and makes them horney.  Now if they had no pain receptors, I do not think it would work.
 
Yellowfin2na said:
Well they do sell parrot food with dried hot thai peppers mixed in as a normal diet so that should tell you something.
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I do not know where parrots are native.  I imagine South America.  I understand it was birds from that area that spread hot peppers.  So that does make sense.  I wonder if water fowl are somehow exempt from the rule.

OSUPepperGuy - The muscovy will be locked up by the time peppers fruit because they eat everything else.  But will see if I can not get video of the peking marching the rows.  It really is a trip cause they do one, turn, do the other.  It is like  a little formation.
 
We have 10 Muscovies ... there is no friggin' way I would let them anywhere near my peppers ... or for that matter any vegies we are growing.
 
If they don't eat it, they will shit on it ... SERIOUSLY!!!
There is no creature on this planet that shits as much as a Muscovy duck.
They have projectile poo ... I could have a 6ft tall corn and they would crap all over it !!!
 
nuclearDays - Curious, have you ever let the muscovy around your peppers?  I ask because ours will chomp threw a zucchini, which I thought impossible.  They will eat all the tomato bottoms they can reach.  But they ignore peppers completely.  After learning this, we started putting them up when things start to fruit.

But our pekings are free to range and eat bugs.  We call them tater ducks because they march back and forth in the potato rows, one after the other as if organized, pecking potato bugs off the plants.  They will occasionally eat the bottom of a tomato if it is low enough, but the pest control is worth the tiny losses.  Only think they really bother too much are strawberry.

On Muscovy and projectile shitting, oh damn and they use it as a defense mechanism.  People tell me they can not control their shit, but pick one up when they dont want picked up and they will frigging aim.
 
ajdrew said:
nuclearDays - Curious, have you ever let the muscovy around your peppers?  I ask because ours will chomp threw a zucchini, which I thought impossible.  They will eat all the tomato bottoms they can reach.  But they ignore peppers completely.  After learning this, we started putting them up when things start to fruit.
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No I haven't, all our different vegies are growing together so I'm not going to take the chance plus that area is not really fenced off and I don't want to take any risks with all the foxes we have around here.
 
ColdSmoke - Guy, breast milk is a topic here at THP.  I forget who, why or how but there it is.

Seriously though, pest control and organic fertilizer are grow topics.  We just got silly with it cause poop came into the picture.  Poop is fun stuff but just like chemicals you gotta be careful when and where you use it.  Example: Fresh duck poop, not so good on food so no ducks in the strawberry patch.
 
ajdrew said:
OSUpepperguy, are you from Columbus, OH / Ohio State University?  Used to live there.  Strange city.  Closes at about 5 PM.
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I have a lot of family from that area and also Akron. I go usually once a year for a game. I've never explored the city in its entirety though :/
 
I gotta admit it's a hoot everyday just to see what Andrew gonna come up with. Sure beats the newbie growing questions that most could find on their own if they would read what already has been pinned up. Ducks in the grow....what's next nuclear altered crops..lol
 
Robjoe, ye I am odd.  But wait till this fall when the place is all nice and perty looking.  Will post pictures.  Right now, too scragedy looking.  One row done, one still in weeds.  Not sure how to put into words the feeling when you are flipping rows and chickens wait for a tasty worm to come up.  Or when you are weeding and a duck walks bye, not caring that you are  there other than to complain that you are in its way.

Have gold fish growing in one pond, kind of a test to see if Koi will work.  Thought 39 cent feeder fish would be better for testing than 5.00 fingerling koi.  Now imagine working in the garden, needing a break, and sitting next to a koi pond.

Yes weird, but it is more than just growing peppers n produce here.  it is incorporating all these beautiful things and hoping to make enough money with it to perpetuate the lifestyle.
 
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