Poultry Talk Ontario (pto.ca)

Hi. I’m brand new to the world of poultry. I’m a big veg gardener but having a real battle with bugs and slugs. Would like to get 8 Cayuga ducklings this year but can’t take them on until end of June. We live just south of Barrie but am willing to travel to pick up my new junior gardeners/pest controllers. Not to concerned about absolutely pure bred. Does anyone think they might be able to help me?

Good morning and to ....I don't know too much about ducks but there are folks here with a wealth of knowledge...so join in and have fun...

Hello and welcome. I'm sure the duck people will join in soon!

to the forum! yep, i also don't know anything about ducks (other than i may hatch a few in the spring and learn with a very steep learning curve)....i've had some experience with guineas and they're awesome on eating bugs and leaving your plants, but they are noisy (for me anyways).
ducks can make a lovely mess and need water....
that's about all i know (oh and they're super cute when they're just hatched LOL)
hope you enjoy the forum and i'm sure other duck-people will be along shortly!

Hiya! I know nothing about ducks! I'm sure someone will add information. If not here, look up Josh Haisma on Facebook I'm sure he has some. He's in Brighton.

One decision that needs to be made now, are you planning to eat your gardeners in the fall or keep them thru the winter.
Ducks are lovely in summer and hell to keep in the winter

Thank you everyone for all the responses. I do plan to keep them through the winter. They will end up being pets. I am currently putting plans together for housing and fencing. We’ll see how it goes. If things don’t work out I do have a hunter friend willing to do the deed for me.

to PTO! I have a few ducks, no pure Cayugas though. The only time they are allowed in the garden is in Spring before I plant, and in Fall after I've harvested anything good. They are great for rooting out beetles and larvae, slugs and snails. They can help keep down the population of squash borers, cucumber beetles, carrot flies, etc.... but they will also eat the plants! If they like the leaves, they will shred them first, and when they run out of "tasty" leaves (carrots, strawberries, lettuce, spinach, cabbages, chard and cucurbits of all sorts are favourites), they will then dig down and rip other vegetable and fruit plants out of the ground to eat them roots first, and leave the dead and dying plants in sad little wilted piles all over the place. They are predator magnets and will attract skunks, raccoons, foxes and weasels, so you will need to protect the garden AND the ducks so these pests don't help themselves to easy meals of meat and veg. If you can put in the time and money to protect your crops with barriers such as chicken wire, the ducks will help keep weeds and cabbage caterpillars down, but they won't discriminate between a weed and a tomato plant, or between a cabbage looper and the broccoli that the cabbage looper is ON Even well-established plants will suffer heavy damage if ducks can get to them. And, the spoiled brats will NOT eat potato beetles or hornworms, or at least my ducks won't.
On the upside, duck eggs are rich and delicious and most excellent for baking!

windwalkingwolf wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 07, 2019 1:41 pm

On the upside, duck eggs are rich and delicious and most excellent for baking!

Now ya see, thats why i like Jan so much...such a positive outlook on life...