North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Rosholdt <rosholdt@erols.com>]

Re:  Ducks:

Michael McConkey (Edible Landscaping) uses Runner Ducks and a few others 
as pest control in his open-to-the-public nursery orchard (see the tour 
- the ducks are in the last scene 
http://www.ediblelandscaping.com/tour.php ) and they:

-eat bugs.  He calls them "pest control"
-don't seem to stink in a manner offensive to his customers
-don't really need the wading pool they have, but Mike likes it
-are inside his big fenced orchard, but predator fencing is not apparent 
to the casual observer (me).

There is an axiom here in Virginia:  You don't have too many Japanese 
beetles, you have a "duck deficiency".

It is Geese who are the vegetarians!

(they will ALL eat fruit)

Barbara R.  (owns no fowl)
Central VA Piedmont 7A?  6?  Brrrr...

> From: Deb S <debs913@gmail.com>
> Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2011 10:00:33 -0500
> To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
>
> Hi Maria
>
> I have had a variety of free range poultry.  The only ducks that might do 
> some good on bugs are Muscovy.

Other types of ducks are really more interested in plant matter than bugs.

Ducks need a pool of water available at all times and ducks STINK!

They are also quite vulnerable to predators, unless housed in a 
fox/coon/dog proof pen.
>