I have a pair of Welsh Halequin ducklings.. Got them when they were about a week old. Now, I suppose they're 5wks, and my do they grow so fast. I could no longer keep them caged in the house, so now they spend the night inside a large dog house outside and free range in the fenced off section during the day.
At night, I close the wire cage door that I put on the dog house so they're not outside at night to become food to any would be predators, but I'm sick of having to clean it daily.. they're messy and always make the shavings or straw so soaking wet.. Is it always gonna be like this? My call duck has her own little house, but she gets to come out at night of her own free will cause her house has a small fence around it.. cause she's blind and I don't want her to get lost.. I was gonna house these 2 with her, but they attack her...
When they grow more, I'm hoping I can keep their water outside and not have to lock them in the doghouse. Building a closed up run is not an option.. I have 2 chicken coops, 2 duck houses and the barn for the goats all fenced off together and these animals all free range together during the day.. at night, everyone goes into their homes and the doors shut, but once the goats grow more and are fully weaned, I'm gonna allow them free range at night so they can keep the ducks company.. I'd do that now, but my wife keeps putting them inside cause she says they bleat earlier in the morning when they can come outside on their own..
Anyway, what do you use for duckling bedding? How often do you clean their house and change bedding? My call duck's bedding is never wet.. hardly no waste in there at all either.. I cleaned it once in the last few weeks.. I think she goes outside to poop, lol.. plus her water bowl is outside near the entrance.
How old would my ducklings have to be before they can free range at night, or sleep wherever they want? I've not once seen them go into their house on their own, so don't know if they would at night or not.. I know my call duck on several occasions has slept outside near her little house, but she does go inside when she wants to.
Anyway, it's not such a bother to have to rake out the wet poopy straw every day and shovel it over the fence then pick it up and carry it to the compost pile, but shavings and straw cost money and the ducks use up so much of it..... actually, yes it can be inconvenient at times.. but I can't let the ducks lay and sleep in a wet environment, which kind of makes me wonder.. don't ducks in the wild live in wet conditions, or not? I'm dreading when I dig up the hole for the kiddie pool to make them a pond.. I bet that's gonna be a pain to clean all the time.
At night, I close the wire cage door that I put on the dog house so they're not outside at night to become food to any would be predators, but I'm sick of having to clean it daily.. they're messy and always make the shavings or straw so soaking wet.. Is it always gonna be like this? My call duck has her own little house, but she gets to come out at night of her own free will cause her house has a small fence around it.. cause she's blind and I don't want her to get lost.. I was gonna house these 2 with her, but they attack her...
When they grow more, I'm hoping I can keep their water outside and not have to lock them in the doghouse. Building a closed up run is not an option.. I have 2 chicken coops, 2 duck houses and the barn for the goats all fenced off together and these animals all free range together during the day.. at night, everyone goes into their homes and the doors shut, but once the goats grow more and are fully weaned, I'm gonna allow them free range at night so they can keep the ducks company.. I'd do that now, but my wife keeps putting them inside cause she says they bleat earlier in the morning when they can come outside on their own..
Anyway, what do you use for duckling bedding? How often do you clean their house and change bedding? My call duck's bedding is never wet.. hardly no waste in there at all either.. I cleaned it once in the last few weeks.. I think she goes outside to poop, lol.. plus her water bowl is outside near the entrance.
How old would my ducklings have to be before they can free range at night, or sleep wherever they want? I've not once seen them go into their house on their own, so don't know if they would at night or not.. I know my call duck on several occasions has slept outside near her little house, but she does go inside when she wants to.
Anyway, it's not such a bother to have to rake out the wet poopy straw every day and shovel it over the fence then pick it up and carry it to the compost pile, but shavings and straw cost money and the ducks use up so much of it..... actually, yes it can be inconvenient at times.. but I can't let the ducks lay and sleep in a wet environment, which kind of makes me wonder.. don't ducks in the wild live in wet conditions, or not? I'm dreading when I dig up the hole for the kiddie pool to make them a pond.. I bet that's gonna be a pain to clean all the time.
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