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The Indian Runner Duck and the Slug

ooGet rid of slugs in the garden with the Indian Runner Duck

Text and photos:Mathilde Bouvier

The Indian Runner Duck and the Slug

If you're thinking of buying one, don't worry too much about how you're going to raise it. It requires very little maintenance. Only a green space, a pond, a small hut to shelter it in the evening or a barnyard.

Indeed, the runner duck is a real resourceful. But you can still throw some pellets at him if you want. He is tireless. As soon as it is released in your garden, it immediately goes in search of slugs... According to some studies on these ducks, they can swallow on average nearly twenty slugs a day. It will catch even the smallest and least detectable, even at night.

Another advantage of this duck:thanks to its wide-spread legs and its lightness, it easily sneaks into your garden and vegetable patch and leaves no mess . It does not scratch the ground and does not lift your seedlings unlike hens. In short, it cleans your green space wonderfully.

The origin of the Indian runner duck is not well known. Some say it originated in Asia before settling in England and others suggest that it is a duck from China, India as its name suggests or Malaysia. During your trip to India or in these other countries, you will surely find them in large numbers. The breeding of the runner duck has always been very popular with Orientals.