protoss
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Post by protoss on Sept 13, 2024 17:53:04 GMT 10
We live on a beautiful property with some acreage, but we’re facing a challenge with tiger leeches in our paddocks. The slopey clay land we have tends to retain moisture, creating an ideal breeding ground for these pests.
While I understand that leeches are part of the ecosystem, it’s becoming a real problem when the wife, kids and dog keep picking them up every time we’re out in the paddocks.
We’ve started spraying boots with Tropical Aeroguard, but we’re looking for more effective solutions to reduce their numbers. I was considering introducing a squadron of ducks to the paddocks or setting up homemade leech traps. If anyone has experience with these methods or other suggestions, I’d love to hear your ideas.
So far, our chickens have been great at keeping leeches away from the house, which is a relief. Any advice on managing the leech problem in the paddocks would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
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Tim Horton
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Post by Tim Horton on Sept 14, 2024 3:31:52 GMT 10
I don't know what kind of leeches are here, but here leeches are an expensive but very good fish bait... Maybe a way to make a few extra $ ??
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norseman
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Post by norseman on Sept 14, 2024 8:47:22 GMT 10
When it's wet we get heaps of them in our paddocks! Back in history, on a long work related excursion I had them so thick on my legs I literally got a hair comb from a mate and scraped them off! I fear ticks way more than leeches and I love watching my better half dancing around the yard when she discovers a leech on herself! I seem to remember a liberal spray of Aeroguard on the boot tops up to the knees would stop them.
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malewithatail
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Post by malewithatail on Sept 14, 2024 9:32:24 GMT 10
We had leeches at our other farm, as it was in a rainforest and found that Ducks seem to keep them down. The ducks eventually croak it due to the poisions, but they do work.
The closer the collapse of an empire, the crazier its laws.
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bug
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Post by bug on Sept 14, 2024 16:02:41 GMT 10
Poultry love ticks and leeches.
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Post by Stealth on Sept 14, 2024 16:18:50 GMT 10
When it's wet we get heaps of them in our paddocks! Back in history, on a long work related excursion I had them so thick on my legs I literally got a hair comb from a mate and scraped them off! I fear ticks way more than leeches and I love watching my better half dancing around the yard when she discovers a leech on herself! I seem to remember a liberal spray of Aeroguard on the boot tops up to the knees would stop them. 🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢 I'm with your other half! I'd be dancing around like a mad woman too. I had a leech on me once and I burned my leg trying to get rid of that stubborn bastard. Not gonna lie, if it hadn't dropped off when it did I'd probably just have burnt my whole leg off and be done with it 🤣. |
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protoss
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Post by protoss on Sept 15, 2024 10:04:21 GMT 10
Wife had a huge one on her as few weeks back. It was the size of a AAA battery after it finished feeding. The poor doggo seems to get one on the paw at least once a week. We usually figure out afterwards after there is a trail of blood through the house. Might get some ducks to tackle this!
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malewithatail
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Post by malewithatail on Sept 15, 2024 11:20:32 GMT 10
Ducks also give eggs, and duck egg omelets are my favorite type.
We have 5 ducks and a drake.
WW3, The country won’t be ready, but you can be.
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protoss
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Post by protoss on Sept 15, 2024 11:50:53 GMT 10
Ducks also give eggs, and duck egg omelets are my favorite type. We have 5 ducks and a drake. WW3, The country won’t be ready, but you can be. What breed ducks? Indian runners? |
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malewithatail
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Post by malewithatail on Sept 15, 2024 12:23:28 GMT 10
No they are too flighty.
We have Khaki Campbell x Welsh Harlequin types. Quite a large frame, but great at eating grass and too heavy to climb into the tire bed gardens we've made from old header tires cut in 1/2.
The Khaki Campbells are known for their amazing egg-laying and hilarious personalities, and ours are no exception, especially at feed time, but they have a tendency to try and hide their eggs and its always a hunt every morning to find the latest nest.
Happiness is a choice.
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bug
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Post by bug on Sept 16, 2024 9:42:08 GMT 10
No they are too flighty. We have Khaki Campbell x Welsh Harlequin types. Quite a large frame, but great at eating grass and too heavy to climb into the tire bed gardens we've made from old header tires cut in 1/2. The Khaki Campbells are known for their amazing egg-laying and hilarious personalities, and ours are no exception, especially at feed time, but they have a tendency to try and hide their eggs and its always a hunt every morning to find the latest nest. Happiness is a choice. Thas sounds like exactly what we are after. Have never had duck eggs before but will see if we can get some from the local market. |
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malewithatail
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Post by malewithatail on Sept 16, 2024 12:33:48 GMT 10
Their eggs make great omelets, 4 at a time ! And unbeatable for cooking. Hint....They are the 'secret' ingredient in a lot of cooking shows.
And they all have different personalities, always busy digging up grubs and so on, talking between themselves and to us when we go anywhere near them. Chooks are boring after keeping these guys and girls. 5 girls and one drake.
You wont regret getting some, but they don't sit particularly well, so we put their eggs under a broody chook to hatch.
The future ? "A man’s uneventful life is disrupted by the zombie apocalypse"
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Tim Horton
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Post by Tim Horton on Sept 16, 2024 15:10:46 GMT 10
Question.....
When we had a surplus of chicken eggs and occasionally some domestic goose eggs we would scramble them raw and dehydrate them in liquid trays in the dehydrator.. Then grind the dry chunks into a powder to store as powdered eggs.. This product worked well for all kinds of cooking, but were not that good reconstituted into fried scrambled eggs.. We would mix 1 goose egg into about 6 to 12 chicken eggs..
Have you tried this with duck eggs ?? Do you have other long term preserving experience with duck eggs ??
If so please post your experience..
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malewithatail
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Post by malewithatail on Sept 16, 2024 16:28:19 GMT 10
With 11 of us living on the farm, they don't last long enough for a surplus, as well as keeping eggs for hatching by a broody chook.
Trapped in time.
We have frozen eggs, just crack into ice cube trays and freeze.
Surrounded by evil. Low on gas
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bug
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Post by bug on Sept 22, 2024 11:46:52 GMT 10
Their eggs make great omelets, 4 at a time ! And unbeatable for cooking. Hint....They are the 'secret' ingredient in a lot of cooking shows. And they all have different personalities, always busy digging up grubs and so on, talking between themselves and to us when we go anywhere near them. Chooks are boring after keeping these guys and girls. 5 girls and one drake. You wont regret getting some, but they don't sit particularly well, so we put their eggs under a broody chook to hatch. The future ? "A man’s uneventful life is disrupted by the zombie apocalypse" Bought some duck eggs at the local market. Went down very well and we'll now be getting ducks not chickens. |
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