permaculture

[Mark <mpludwig@facstaff.wisc.edu>]

At 09:13 AM 11/27/02 -0800, you wrote:
> I would like to hear expierences from people using ducks, geese or chickens
> for weeds control (especially grasses), pest control, fertilizering and bed
> preperation.  I'm not interested in the meat or eggs just the above
> mentioned benefiets.
>
> Thanks,
> Daniel

I have found chickens very good at cleaning up weed seeds.  I'm sure this 
varys with the size of the seeds and the breed of hen.  IOW larger seeds 
are generally more attractive, and some are surely unpalatable.  Good 
active hens should help too; I have found the easy to come by white leghorn 
as good a range bird as any other.  IF you get them from a confinement 
situation it will take them a few weeks to get used to ranging and get 
fully effective.  As far as weeds themselves, if they are short enough to 
eat, they will try.  If you can concentrate them in a small area they can 
kill such vegetation given enough time, just look at any dusty little yard 
behind a chjook house for confirmation of this.  I have a little experience 
with turkeys, they are good grazers and might kill off weeds given time, 
the wild ones eat a lot of mast; acorns and such.
M



Mark P. Ludwig
Poultry Research Lab
University of Wisconsin -Madison
608-262-1730 WK
608-846-7125 HM