How to keep your brooder clean?

[Duck Drover]

DO you think I need to clip my ducks flight feathers? or is it just for the breed of duck you spechalise in?
I am getting a Welsh Harlequin, White Layer, Cayuga and a Buff.
your confined area with more shelter...What is that like? I have a chicken/duck yard that is fenced in by a wooden fence with a coop that is two feet up. would this be ok? or should I only give them supervised time out side and bring them in to the brooder for the night?

Our ducks can fly over the house if we do not clip their wings since they onlyvweigh two pounds. Heavier breeds may not get as high but ducks are smart so if there is a way to get over a fence they will figure it out. We have tree cover around our fenceline except the gate so now we have an arbor with roses climbing over our gate.

My confined area is under our plum trees so it is well protected plus we have several shelters for them to use as hides. There are no open areas in the plum tree pen so that deters the crows from coming in. We get alot of little birds taking shelter in our plum trees. We also have cherry trees but they are not mature and there is a lilac and another bush. There are so many small plum trees that the ducklings can hang out safely. This is our smallest enclosure and it is about 20'x30'so the babies have room to run around without getting lost in the yard.

I start mine with supervised time, then all day (with overnights in the bathtub) before leaving them out all day and all night. It depends on the size of the group, though, because there is safety in numbers and they can stay warmer in a larger duck pile. I also mix ages so I have to be sure they all get along before they stay out on their own.

 

[tjrod2013]

Just make sure you either supervise them or make sure they are well protected. Even if you don't have the usual predators, little ducklings could easily be hurt or killed by most anything. Like a cat.

Cats are my biggest worry right now. I think at night I may get a raccoon every now and then, but people in my neighborhood keep feeding feral cats, but don't get them spayed!! I've been leaving my dog at home during the day instead of taking him to work with me like I usually do. I'm hoping that his presence in the yard will keep the cats away when I'm not home.

 

[neetabeamie]

The tubs are 32"x18" and 14" tall but I am not sure on the volume. I will have 8 smaller ducklings or 4 bigger ducklings per tub, maybe 6 if I don't have groups of at least 4 to keep together. I sell ducklings in groups of 4 or more but most are sold from the stage 1 brooder before they move to the stage 2 brooders (I have 6 of these tubs) at about 2 weeks old. We often have ducklings bathing in shallow tubs in our bathtub while I am cleaning the brooder tubs at the same time.

I don't give the ducklings any nesting materials but the heaters I use (VictorUltimate Flea Traps ) work like a nest. The ducklings cuddle up together under the heat as if they are under a mother hen. They can snuggle up around it as they get bigger and they will even sit on top of it when they are big enough.

.

Your Victor Ultimate Flea Traps, Are they your only source of heat for your ducklings?
Do you use a heat lamp?

 

[Duck Drover]

Your Victor Ultimate Flea Traps, Are they your only source of heat for your ducklings?
Do you use a heat lamp?

They basically are a heat lamp but they use a nightlight bulb and trap the heat under the dome. The heat is intended to attract fleas to it but the baby birds are attracted to the heat and they climb right in, lol.

I also use the lids on the tubs to hold in heat from the lightbulb and from the babies' body heat. My first stage tub is smaller for hatchlings and I use a dog kennel heating pad underneath for additional heat since those babies just came out of the hatching incubator and are just getting started.

None of my heat sources will cause a fire and the babies can get right up to it and not get overheated (they will die from too much heat before they will die from the cold). The flea trap warmer works like a mama so they can snuggle right under it, lie next to it, or wander away for periods of time. It works like the Brinsea Ecoglow but it is only $15 and it comes apart for easy cleaning. It makes such a nice nest for the babies to cuddle up inside that I like it even better.

 

[neetabeamie]

They basically are a heat lamp but they use a nightlight bulb and trap the heat under the dome. The heat is intended to attract fleas to it but the baby birds are attracted to the heat and they climb right in, lol.

I also use the lids on the tubs to hold in heat from the lightbulb and from the babies' body heat. My first stage tub is smaller for hatchlings and I use a dog kennel heating pad underneath for additional heat since those babies just came out of the hatching incubator and are just getting started.

None of my heat sources will cause a fire and the babies can get right up to it and not get overheated (they will die from too much heat before they will die from the cold). The flea trap warmer works like a mama so they can snuggle right under it, lie next to it, or wander away for periods of time. It works like the Brinsea Ecoglow but it is only $15 and it comes apart for easy cleaning. It makes such a nice nest for the babies to cuddle up inside that I like it even better.

Here is my plan, pleas let me know what you think.
I am getting 4 ducklings.
Due to $ am going to construct a brooder that is 3'x3' out of left over wood. I will have think plastic under that that is about 6" wider then the brooder in order to keep my floor clean.
on top of the plastic I will have shelf liner.
I am making a watering station out of a cake pan and small chicken fencing or if that is too big (I haven't made it yet) out of cookie cooling rak with shelf liner on top.
I have a heat lamp with a clamp and a red bulb that I used with my chickens. I plan to use that during the day and the victor flee trap at night. I am getting my ducklings the 21st of June. I live in Idaho so it should be at least 80 - 90 degrees during the day in June and especially in July. I am keeping them in my kitchen.

Do you think that the victor heat trap will keep my ducklings worm enough by its self"?

I cant get a heating pad due to finances. so its ether the heat lamp or the heat lamp and the flee trap.

 

[psxpak]

I use a wire bottom, gotta wash it out every day but at least i dont have to dispose of extra straw

 

[psxpak]

Heres a pic, i stained it all with mineral oil so the poo doesnt stick to it so bad and it doesbt rot from all the moisture its sitting in, deck grade 2x2 would probly be ideal

 

[Duck Drover]

Heres a pic, i stained it all with mineral oil so the poo doesnt stick to it so bad and it doesbt rot from all the moisture its sitting in, deck grade 2x2 would probly be ideal

This design with shelf liner over the wire would work well. The wire alone will be hard on a duckling's feet. It is the same concept I use only my tubs are bigger and I use a plastic mat that is elevated because it sits on the higher center of the tub with channels on the edges to collect the mess. The tubs were about $20 each and the mats were under $10 each so it was cheaper than building anything and it is light weight but also rugged. The flea traps were $15 each so my 6 brooder tubs are about $50 each, including the shelf liner (or carpet non-slip mesh that did not hold up to repeated eashing as well as the shelf liners) since I only use the heaters for ducklings the first two to three weeks, then they are at room temperature. The warmer you keep birds the longer it takes for them to feather out and the more risk you run of overheating, especially ducks.

I just went to home depot and looked around to see what they had that I could work with and that is what I came up with so after my initial investment my only cost to raise ducklings is the feed, night light bulbs, and shelf liner. I have hatched and sold enough ducklings to recover my investment but I know most people are just raising an occasional group so they are not looking for something reusable that will withstand many years of duckling use.

Our ducklings generally sell out before they are off heat but sometimes people want them off heat so they don't have to brood them and we do grow out our dilute colors to see how they feather out. We try to grow out ducklings to pair with any hatched and raised by hens too (they sometimes hide their nests well enough that we let them hatch the ducklings but we take away any we don't want to chance to the crows).

Ducklings grow fast enough that they are off heat pretty quickly and they need less heat than chicks. They feather from the bottom up so while chicks are growing in their flight feathers ducklings are growing in their swimming feathers. Ducklings seem to have more body fat than chicks too since they are made to float instead if fly. They will pile and snuggle up for warmth too so heat lamps can often be too hot too fast. Overheating can be fatal if they are not able to get away from heat or move towards it as needed.

 

[Duck Drover]

Here is my plan, pleas let me know what you think.
I am getting 4 ducklings.
Due to $ am going to construct a brooder that is 3'x3' out of left over wood. I will have think plastic under that that is about 6" wider then the brooder in order to keep my floor clean.
on top of the plastic I will have shelf liner.
I am making a watering station out of a cake pan and small chicken fencing or if that is too big (I haven't made it yet) out of cookie cooling rak with shelf liner on top.
I have a heat lamp with a clamp and a red bulb that I used with my chickens. I plan to use that during the day and the victor flee trap at night. I am getting my ducklings the 21st of June. I live in Idaho so it should be at least 80 - 90  degrees during the day in June and especially in July. I am keeping them in my kitchen.

Do you think that the victor heat trap will keep my ducklings worm enough by its self"? 

I cant get a heating pad due to finances. so its ether the heat lamp or the heat lamp and the flee trap.

I have seen people use heating pads that are flexible and made for people by covering them and creating a den for the ducklings to go inside. You can use this same heating pad under a plastic tub but they are not made to stay on all the time while the dog bed heaters can stay plugged in all the time.

The heating pad I use under the first stage tub helps evaporate moisture to let the hatchlings dry after coming out of the incubator. If your ducklings are already at least a few days old when you get them then you do not need this much dry heat for your babies. Mine go in just as soon as they are fluffed up after hatching so they need the extra warmth to get started. This is like the first few days the hen keeps them under her on the nest to build up strength before venturing out from under her. They learn to eat and drink during this stage and they learn to use the warmer before they go into a tub with just the warmer. This is also a safeguard in case the bulb burns out on the warmer but by trapping their body heat with the lids vented for air they will stay warm enough with the heating pad alone until I check and replace a bulb. Mine get continuous use so the bulbs will burn out at times but I try to give the oldest bulbs to the older ducklings by keeping their heater with them as they grow.

Alot of people have open brooders but ducklings will jump out of the tubs if I don't use the lids. As they get older I vent the lids more. I have not taken temps inside my tubs because I look at the ducklings to determine if they are too hot or too cold. There are charts you can follow and adjust your temps weekly if you are new to ducklings and don't know how to read duckling behavior.

 

[neetabeamie]

I have seen people use heating pads that are flexible and made for people by covering them and creating a den for the ducklings to go inside. You can use this same heating pad under a plastic tub but they are not made to stay on all the time while the dog bed heaters can stay plugged in all the time.

The heating pad I use under the first stage tub helps evaporate moisture to let the hatchlings dry after coming out of the incubator. If your ducklings are already at least a few days old when you get them then you do not need this much dry heat for your babies. Mine go in just as soon as they are fluffed up after hatching so they need the extra warmth to get started. This is like the first few days the hen keeps them under her on the nest to build up strength before venturing out from under her. They learn to eat and drink during this stage and they learn to use the warmer before they go into a tub with just the warmer. This is also a safeguard in case the bulb burns out on the warmer but by trapping their body heat with the lids vented for air they will stay warm enough with the heating pad alone until I check and replace a bulb. Mine get continuous use so the bulbs will burn out at times but I try to give the oldest bulbs to the older ducklings by keeping their heater with them as they grow.

Alot of people have open brooders but ducklings will jump out of the tubs if I don't use the lids. As they get older I vent the lids more. I have not taken temps inside my tubs because I look at the ducklings to determine if they are too hot or too cold. There are charts you can follow and adjust your temps weekly if you are new to ducklings and don't know how to read duckling behavior.

So your Flee trap heaters seem to be enough on its own for your little ducklings to keep worm for the first few weeks?