Bedding for Duck House? Hay or Shavings?

[Miss Lydia]

@festus6657 It's best to use old clean towels with new ducklings till they know what and where food and water is. Some will eat shaving some just look like they are when they are just noodling around in it. Towels can be taken out dialy shook out wash and reused Do this for about a week or 2 till they get use to everything.

And please post back and let us know how your little one is doing and answer the questions posed to you. Thanks

 

[revmarcie]

Diatamaceous(sp?) earth.

 

[RandomePerson]

My ducks like hay but shavings is fine

 

[racman]

Hi I am in the uk and thought of using verdo which is used wet in stables .It was great for the horse and kept the smell down but I see from other posts its not so good for ducks we use straw at the moment but it just stinks

 

[mjamell]

I'm having a problem with my drakes choking on shavings. They are about 10 months old and they have had shavings in the coop for months. Has anybody else had this problem? I have a camera in my coop and I have to go out approximately 2 times a night to help them. Help! This has only been happening a week and I'm feeling like I have a newborn!

 

[cayugaducklady]

I use old sheets / towels while they're babies.

Then they graduate to pine pellets ( horse bedding). It breaks down into sawdust as it gets wet.

I use pine peletscin the nest box.

May I suggest offering your boys some greens in a shallow dabbling pan? They may be bored or need more green matter I their diet.

I've had good luck with whole and halved cabbage heads, alfalfazpellets soaked in water and baby rabbit pellets.

 

[mjamell]

Thanks, I'll try some cabbage tonight.

 

[Whitneyd88]

I did the no water at night thing. Then it got excessively hot, and I just felt it was cruel to not offer water. Soon I will be switching back to my heated bucket, which must stay in a certain spot for electric. So water they have.

I use straw in the houses, the pen is bare dirt. It used to be pea gravel, that is gone now.

How was the pea gravel?

 

[CarleeAnn]

We plan to use pine shavings because that is what we used in their brooder. I've heard about hay getting moldy quick, although we plan to clean the bedding every other day or so. Our ducks aren't in the house unless it's bedtime or they are trying to cool off. Last night was their first full night in the house, but they just slept on a dirt floor... after cleaning we will add the shavings and I will let you know how it keeps from a few nights sleeping.

 

[Brian ashe]

Yeah, I have heard shavings are the best. Hay gets moldy and can cause serious respiratory problems.

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