6wk old ducklings and their swamp pit

[Warwickchickenhill]

What is best to use in the duck run? We have 2 welsh harlequins, straw? The grass is almost gone they've been in there 10 days. They have a giant rubber bowl to swim in.

 

[Table4Six]

A pic of your set up would help give me an idea of what would work best.
With ducks I wouldn't use straw. They get water everywhere and it will just get soggy and mold. I'd use sand, it absorbs poop and water very well. You usually won't get grass to grow, so greens just have to become a treat.

 

[rachelsflock]

I can't tell you what's best to do, but I can tell you what I do in the fall and winter when I have to pen. As soon as everyone is big enough, I switch them to pellet so they don't get food stuck up their noses as much and don't need the water as badly. Then I give a bucket of water once a day for morning snorting and constant access during the day to nipple waterers hung nice and high so they can't just push a button and make a duck shower . Horizontal seem to work best, but I've got vertical once too. Putting the buckets over a drainage grid made from a pallet and rubber pavers is my preferred method until it goes below 28 F (then I change approaches and put it on bricks or a bucket over a pan and heat the waterer with an aquarium heater). They get a pool once or twice a week as a treat to keep feathers nice or if I feel brave enough to let them out in the face of the winter foxes and hawks we get here.

I hate duck swamp. But I love ducks.

 

[Warwickchickenhill]

A pic of your set up would help give me an idea of what would work best.
With ducks I wouldn't use straw. They get water everywhere and it will just get soggy and mold. I'd use sand, it absorbs poop and water very well. You usually won't get grass to grow, so greens just have to become a treat.

What is best to use in the duck run? We have 2 welsh harlequins, straw? The grass is almost gone they've been in there 10 days. They have a giant rubber bowl to swim in.

A pic of your set up would help give me an idea of what would work best.
With ducks I wouldn't use straw. They get water everywhere and it will just get soggy and mold. I'd use sand, it absorbs poop and water very well. You usually won't get grass to grow, so greens just have to become a treat.

I

I can't tell you what's best to do, but I can tell you what I do in the fall and winter when I have to pen. As soon as everyone is big enough, I switch them to pellet so they don't get food stuck up their noses as much and don't need the water as badly. Then I give a bucket of water once a day for morning snorting and constant access during the day to nipple waterers hung nice and high so they can't just push a button and make a duck shower . Horizontal seem to work best, but I've got vertical once too. Putting the buckets over a drainage grid made from a pallet and rubber pavers is my preferred method until it goes below 28 F (then I change approaches and put it on bricks or a bucket over a pan and heat the waterer with an aquarium heater). They get a pool once or twice a week as a treat to keep feathers nice or if I feel brave enough to let them out in the face of the winter foxes and hawks we get here.

I hate duck swamp. But I love ducks.

 

[Warwickchickenhill]

I will get you a pic I wish I could figure out how to upload my pics from my photogallery. Geez!!!

 

[Table4Six]

I've found posting pics from my phone quite easy, but trying to post pics from my computer is a pain.

 

[Warwickchickenhill]

we had to quickly buy a dog kennel to get them out of the garage with our couple days of 100 degree weather they are securely locked in their duck house at night

 

[Warwickchickenhill]

A pic of your set up would help give me an idea of what would work best.
With ducks I wouldn't use straw. They get water everywhere and it will just get soggy and mold. I'd use sand, it absorbs poop and water very well. You usually won't get grass to grow, so greens just have to become a treat.

I posted a pic hope you can see it. My hubby picked up a 50 pd bag of Sand today we now call their run the duck beach! Thx for your help and info

 

[Table4Six]

No problem
It's very easy for ducks to make mud patches like this because they are so messy, especially when it comes to water. I think sand will work great with your set up and help keep things cleaner and dryer.

 

[Warwickchickenhill]

No problem
It's very easy for ducks to make mud patches like this because they are so messy, especially when it comes to water. I think sand will work great with your set up and help keep things cleaner and dryer.

Yes the sand in great,so should I scoop their poop daily and compost?