Wanna know how mad I am about slugs (I debated posting in HM

[Jack]

Well, I just got 5 chicks, my friend was trying to steer me to the ducks, say they do better on the slugs (but they are messy...)
well, we will see, gonna put them up in the dog run and or the floor cages in the rabbitry


I REALLY don't like slugs, and slugs eat strawberries, those are for the kids (and me, if I'm fast enough)<br /><br />__________ Sat May 18, 2013 3:14 pm __________<br /><br />Oh, and I have NO idea about chickens... so I guess I will learn
chicks are 6 weeks, so afew more weeks till they go outside, which is OK with my wife

 

[DonnerSurvivor]

Chickens are easy youll catch on quick, They are also very good recyclers so feel free to give them your table scraps to save on the feed bill. I would also make sure your chickens come in at night because owls and foxes love chicken.

 

[Jack]

So, I looked, and the freind I got them from said 'they're a cross of Rhode Island Reds and white..., So ISA brown
prolific egg layers that DO NOT last (and not a breeder?)
I actually was reading WIKI and thought, wow, now cross those to a russian http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orloff_(chicken) or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orpington_(chicken)
and you would have a really good cold weather chicken???
or the one used for eggs before layer crosses that does really good for forage?

I plan to train these guys on my tray dump, there are plenty of flys and grubs to get them used to finding bugs...

OH, and one more thing, do Chickens like strawberries?

I was planning to pretty much free range them on my place (actually I could do 4 lots cause I know one neighbor won't mind, and the corner (2) past here is vacant

 

[GlitterMomma]

Oh yes in moderation they love strawberries Ewwww I dislike slugs too actually sat on one once pffffft felt like I was on nickelodeon and got slimed hahaha

 

[JessicaR]

chickens will eat just about anything! Unless your strawberries are protected they will eat them, my chickens ate mine

 

[Jack]

Hmmm. so more losses from chickens or slugs?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Congrats on the chicks, Jack! You will have fun with them.

As for the slugs, I have heard that they don't like to cross wood ashes. You could put the ashes all around your strawberry plants- it is good for the soil, especially if it contains charcoal.

We don't have snails or slugs (too arid in the mountains here I think), but we do have a healthy population of pillbugs and earwigs which like strawberries too.

 

[Jack]

No, uh... so slug weather is kinda highish humidity... LONG twilight hours, cooler temps
SO, basically AK summers, I have plucked OVER 200 slugs one night, I stopped counting, cause I lost place about 190's, and I'm sure I got at least 10 more.

so the question is, losses, if I put them out after the ripe berried are harvested (these are raised beds facing the road (really good southern exposure)
and only let them have 30 so min... either right before putting them to bed or high 'slug' weather...

I've had LITTLE success with anything short of Tri-ox slug bait, and um... I have the stoves, and they don't say good things about the fuel tabs (like wash hands thoroughly, do not handle near food or prep areas etc...)

I want strawberries, I want slugs DEAD, and I hope to use chickens to achieve this goal... so if you happen to see some crazy guy herding chickens at 12AM around his front yard, realize he probably hates slugs as much as me.