Stevie Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 At this time of year,i normally have a 'healthy' population of slugs & snails which keeps the local thrushes and blackbirds in food,but since getting the chooks 2 months ago-their population has been greatly reduced.The big give away is watching them chase each other round garden when they have one in their beak. Sage my Pepperpot is a real lady and is forever cleaning muck from her beak,while Onion my Gingernut is like a St-Trinians hooligan with bits of slimy snail on hers. There was a kinda awwwwwww moment when Onion lept onto my lap for a cuddle earlier while sat outside-then i noticed the dreaded slime on her beak again.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 Eeeeewww! Messy girls! A couple of mine like their snails whole and will deshell them, but the younger ones like me to stomp on them first to break the shell. I've learned to stomp then stand well clear very quickly if I don't want snail innards splattered up my legs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*mummy_hen* Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 Mine get the gooey reminents of slugs and snails stuck all over their beaks too. Then when they wipe it on the floor (especially if it's in the house flooring) they get all stuff stuck all over them as it is so sticky!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surferdog Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 Mine are terrified of snails. They used to eat them if I crushed the shells first but got put right off when I put a live one in the run. As soon as it stuck its head out they all ran away screaming! Now they won't go near them dead or alive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie Posted June 14, 2008 Author Share Posted June 14, 2008 Mine are terrified of snails. They used to eat them if I crushed the shells first but got put right off when I put a live one in the run. As soon as it stuck its head out they all ran away screaming! Now they won't go near them dead or alive. lol-they're the complete opposite to mine! Never knew chooks could be frightened of snails etc! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helly Welly Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 Until we got chickens we got thousands of slugs in our garden. We used to go out in the garden at night armed with scoops and play slug-slinging. Points were awarded to who could get the slugs down to the gardens at the bottom of the street, or if you heard them thump against someones panel fencing. Weren't we naughty Now, i'm lucky if i ever see one, thank goodness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susanbb Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 When they chase each other when they've got one in their beaks it's just sooo funny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajm200 Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 Yesterday I was shocked to see that my hubbie had taken one of our girls into the greenhouse with all my veggies but when I looked more closely she was standing patiently between his feet waiting while he move growbags and pots so that she could clean up the slugs. She even cleaned up a little 'nest' of baby slugs that was in a growbag without touching the plants at all. Top junior gardener I wouldn't trust her unsupervised though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
