Any ideas on keeping the duck brooder drier?

[Country Gal]

Hi all,

I bought some ducklings last weekend and I currently have them brooding in the garage similar to what I do with baby chicks - they are in a kiddie pool, with a heat lamp, food and water, and I have wood chips down. All week I have been adding additional wood chips because they have been getting water everywhere - is there any way to keep things drier in the brooder, and hopefully keep the smell down a bit as a result?

Thanks!!!

 

[duckyfromoz]

I had issues with that last year when I started incubating as I was keeping the little ones in my lounge room. I use large cardboard boxes for mine- Clean them daily and change the box each week. I ended up adding an " annex" to the main box big enough for the duckling to walk into for a drink. I use newspaper and pine shavings on the floor of my brooders. And I also put a large baking tray under the water containers to catch the drips. It doesnt eliminate the mess- but sure helped to reduce it. Being in a plastic pool not really possible to add on an extra bit for a drinking room.

 

[Katy]

I use puppy pees pads on my duck brooders.

 

[jbowen9]

First rule of having ducks to remember is that they can take a teaspoon of water and make a 5 gallon mudhole on a concrete floor. I have raised many ducks the only way is to keep cleaning that i have found because you dont want to limit their water. Good luck i will watch this thread to see any idea's come up.

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
NOW she tells me

I had to clean at least twice a day, and it would still be stinko by morning. Which is why they went outside at 2 weeks!

 

[Scott]

One alternative: keep them on wire flooring as opposed to wood chips.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
NOW she tells me

I had to clean at least twice a day, and it would still be stinko by morning. Which is why they went outside at 2 weeks!

sorry

 

[artsyrobin]

i use sheets instead of shavings, and use a milk bottle with a hole cut in the side for water-

yes, alot of laundry, and a small tub of water a couple times a day.... once they are feathered in they will be outside

 

[vlapinta]

I dont keep the water open for them in the brooder. I have a plastic container with a hole cut in the top, twice as wide as their heads. They can get their whole head in the water, but they can't make a mess. This keeps down on the wetness in the brooder. I take them out and let them play in water one - three times a day. I deal with a medical supply company so I ordered these protowels. They are what the dentists use. They are very thin with a waterproof backing. The towels come 500 to a box. I put down a layer of pine shavings so it is soft and then I lay these towels over the shavings. They work great because they are easy to take out and change. Also if they are soiled, which is often, I can just put another layer on top until I want to take them all out. In other words I will start with a layer of 2 towels deep over the pine shavings and if I go to check on them and it is dirty, I will just put another layer on top. Then a couple of hours later I will take the towels out and start all over again. The pine shavings have remained dry this way and the babies are pretty much on clean bedding. Mine are only a week old. as soon as I can trust them not to eat the pine shavings, I will stop using the towels. My brooder has really stayed dry because of this.

Vicki

 

[chickboss]

I agree with the poster who said that if you have a seperate place in the brooder that is somewhat divided but accessable for food and water it will help keep the mess down in the rest of the brooder. For a time we had our four Kahkis in a HUGE dog crate that we split in half and made lids for each half and connected. Food and water went in one half, they slept by choice in the other. Their "bedroom" area was much cleaner. I wish I had known about the puppy pads then though for their "dinning room".