best bedding for brooder

[688peterl]

from when they hatched i have had my ducks on bedsheets in the brooder which they love, but they didnt absorb much water so the other day i changed them onto shavings, since then they have been eating them a lot and one of the ducks has been walking kinda funny which only started when i changed the bedding, is it better for the ducks to be on shavings or bedsheets? because the bedsheets dont absorb the poo/wee as good as the shavings but the bedsheets are a lot softer on their feet! i dont know what to do! i did try putting a sheet over the shavings but they keep pecking at it and lifting it up to get at the shavings! what would you do?

shavings or sheets???

 

[meriruka]

I use paper towels for the first two weeks, then switch to pine shavings after that.

 

[redhen]

If they are eating the shavings, remove them. I had a chick die from eating shavings. You could try straw or hay..maybe...

 

[rainplace]

I bought a bunch of cheap towels. On one end of the brooder I used the shelf liner (where I had the food and water) and under the heat lamp I had towels which I changed out often. I would rinse them and throw them straight into the washer.

 

[688peterl]

thats what i do with the sheets (rinse them then throw them in the washer) anyway im deffo changing back to sheets tomorrow, they are much cosier for the ducks, a little harder for me to clean but meh

what i do is wipe any poo off the sheets with toilet roll everytime i see it, so they are never left woth poo in the brooder, but i only change the sheets once a day (in a morning) is that ok? i did try twice a day for a few days but it was pointless because i would get it all lovely and clean and within 5 mins it would be a mess again

 

[comp6512]

As someone advised here, I will be using outdoor carpet (no results yet, ducks arriving this coming Tuesday). You can rinse off the carpet and dry it in the sun. We'll see how this works.

 

[rainplace]

Quote:
You have sun this time of year... lucky!

 

[688peterl]

might sound dumb but what is outdoor carpet?