Giant Slugs

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jacquih
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Giant Slugs

Post by jacquih »

Hi I have been having trouble with Giant Slugs sliding into the Chicken pellets every morning,I keep Serama Bantams and they are too big for them to handle,so slug eating is out of the question,these Slugs are enormous and I am sure they are eating the pellets as well, has any one got any ideas how to deter the slugs? plus they are making the feeder terribly slimy! yike*

Jacquih

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lancashire lass
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Re: Giant Slugs

Post by lancashire lass »

I seem to have a slug problem this year too despite it being dry this summer - my feeders are suspended from the ceiling so luckily the slugs can't reach but the girls knock the pellets on to the ground where the slugs gather.

If you can locate places where the slugs are coming in or possibly hiding under cover, you could put salt down (just as long as the girls don't accidentally eat it) and it should deter them. Otherwise the only other options are putting traps around at night once the girls are locked up - such as beer traps or grapefruit skins / or pieces of wood where slugs might try to hide under, then take these away first thing in the morning before letting the girls out. How you dispose of the slugs is up to you, but slinging them over the fence won't get rid of them .... they will return! It won't totally get rid of all the slugs but should reduce the numbers. I wouldn't put slug pellets down, not even the so called "wildlife" friendly ones in case your chickens accidentally consume them (or eat the slugs that have eaten the slug pellets)
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KathJ
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Re: Giant Slugs

Post by KathJ »

We have exactly the same problem. I'm sure they're only becoming 'Giant' because of all the layers pellets they're eating {rofwl} To be honest I'm not really sure there is a way of getting rid of them. We've tried beer traps and orange skins and you might catch half a dozen if you're lucky but there are plenty more to take their place. It's like they have some signal to tell all the slugs in the area where the good food is!!
We're moving house in two weeks so we've just decided to live with them for the time being but I think once we've moved we'll try to suspend the pellets if we can to keep them off the ground. It is horrible when everything is so slimy but apparently it's supposed to be good for the wrinkles so maybe I'll just have to rub my hands over my face after {rofwl}
Kath xx

Mum to my beautiful girls Lucy, Holly, Rosie, Hettie, Polly, Ruby, Lily, Penny, Gracie, Maisie, Molly, Evie and my gorgeous boy Toby

RIP my beautiful Ranger, Roxy, Bluebelle, Poppy, Speckle, Daisy and Honey xxxx
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: Giant Slugs

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi , slug .I have a problem . Not enough . When my girls get one it is run quick and hide as fast as possible as a tug of slug starts and mess oozes all over .
Can not stand them slimy orrible things .
Please send to me as my girls would love them.
Bob
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jacquih
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Re: Giant Slugs

Post by jacquih »

This is the thing, we do suspend our feeders, but they are Olympian Atheletes when it comes to climbing,absolutely unstopable,I was wondering about putting that tape used for plant pots thats supposed to deter slugs climbing up them? but i might put the food away each night for a bit until Winter rears its head:)
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kitla
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Re: Giant Slugs

Post by kitla »

It takes more effort keeping the slugs out of the food than the mice! At night I put the food away in the shed in a plastic box, put a lid on the box, put heavy things on the lid. Any other boxes in there with food in have the lids clicked down firmly at night. They are like octopus & can squeeze through the tiniest gap & pop up the other side. Sometimes I still find slime on the pellets in the morning - perhaps I have a teleporting slug!
"He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."
--Immanuel Kant
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sandy
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Re: Giant Slugs

Post by sandy »

They certainly can teleport }hairout{
If you really want to be yuckified out , go out early evening and come home past dark to put the food away OMG load of huge blighters covering all the bowls!
Where is Lucky Ducky when you want him (previously owned runner duck)
The Pink Ladies..Audrey,Ingrid-Bergman,Madeleline,Norma-Jean,Dora,Janice,Jo,Robyn,Chrissy and Joyce
The Peds…Mork,Mindy,Bell,Saphire &
Vorky ,Blueped,Ginger,Ninger &Linky

Sunny Clucker was ere July 12-21 2012
Sunny Clucker was ere July 6 2016 to Sept 9th 2017
Sunny Clucker is here , rehomed Aug 18th 2018/
Powyswales
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Re: Giant Slugs

Post by Powyswales »

I also have had giant slugs in my feeders lately, my bluebells or rir will not eat them for some reason. I wonder if dictamous earth would repel them, i have the desi-dust branded dictamous earth so not sure if it is food safe, if i thought it was i would add some to the layers pellets to see if it would repel and maybe even kill the slugs by drying them out.
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ChickenCarol
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Re: Giant Slugs

Post by ChickenCarol »

I too have been battling the giant slugs. Jacquih, I have also just added two serama's to my bantam flock. They are adorable. Back to the slugs. I have an automatic opener on my chicken shed so the girls are out for about an hour before I go out. What I am now doing is taking the big china food dish away when the chickens are in at dusk and putting out a small china dish with just enough food for the hour in the morning. In the morning I put the usual dish back which is clean and empty and clean the small dish. This means there is less waste and the smaller dish is easier to clean, less surface area of yukky slime. It doesn't stop the problem but it does make it easier to deal with. I also brush the slime from the patio feeding area each morning with a wire brush then a normal brush. It is a pain but I too am thinking once winter approaches the problem will go away.
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KathJ
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Re: Giant Slugs

Post by KathJ »

Unfortunately my girls aren't interested in eating the slugs. I'm quite glad really as they are massive so not sure how well they'd go down yike* yike* We've tried the copper tape thing which is supposed to deter them and it doesn't work so I wouldn't waste your money. I'm dreading how many we're going to find when we dismantle the run in a couple of weeks I'm guessing there will be millions under the slabs yike*
Kath xx

Mum to my beautiful girls Lucy, Holly, Rosie, Hettie, Polly, Ruby, Lily, Penny, Gracie, Maisie, Molly, Evie and my gorgeous boy Toby

RIP my beautiful Ranger, Roxy, Bluebelle, Poppy, Speckle, Daisy and Honey xxxx
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sandy
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Re: Giant Slugs

Post by sandy »

A few years back my Iris ate a big ordinary common slug unfortunately it was still alive and tried slithering back out which was choking Iris. I managed to force it down as couldnt get it out, a very scary few minutes so I would say be very glad the girls are ignoring them!
The Pink Ladies..Audrey,Ingrid-Bergman,Madeleline,Norma-Jean,Dora,Janice,Jo,Robyn,Chrissy and Joyce
The Peds…Mork,Mindy,Bell,Saphire &
Vorky ,Blueped,Ginger,Ninger &Linky

Sunny Clucker was ere July 12-21 2012
Sunny Clucker was ere July 6 2016 to Sept 9th 2017
Sunny Clucker is here , rehomed Aug 18th 2018/

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