best bedding for ducklings?

[easttxchick]

Aspen shavings are great for ducklings(althoug kinda pricey). I found them, ultimately, to be cheaper than the puppy pads.
Another GREAT option is that machine washable shelf-liner stuff you can get at The Dollar Store for a dollar a roll. Wash it and reuse it(slick side down, of course).

 

[The Duck ABC's]

I use peewee pads (the cheap walmart brand) and old cotton towels on top. Plus I have a cookie sheet below the water source lined with paper towels. The cookie sheet is the best thing, because it prevents the water from soaking up all the towels. The paper towel inside is to give the babies something to walk on, plus it absorbs the water. The peewee pad is underneath the cookie sheet just in case it is needed. I think I switch the pads about once per week, because they are usually pretty good to go. The towels get changed twice per day. I shake them out outside and have them hang on the fence until I have enough for the wash machine to be filled. I never run more then one brooder. Right now I have 11 in the brooder and they will move out when they are 2.5 weeks old. There is not a big market here for ducklings so I do not brood much. I sell lots of hatching eggs which I ship nationwide. I only raise one breed and that is Saxony ducks. I just refreshed my breeding stock with top show quality ducklings from Holderread. This also allows me to send unrelated hatching eggs to customers. I have 4 different breeding lines of Saxony ducks.

 

[mommyofthreewithchicks]

I put shavings down and then paper towels for the first few days ( I also do this for chicks) and then just shavings. I tried the towels and then didn't want to put them in the washer so shavings it is... Plus I am agreeing with everyone else on the mulch idea.

 

[animalpro24]

We use the pellets that are used for all kinds of livestock. The pellets come in little (pellets) and when wet they break up and create soft bedding. We have also used straw for our older ducklings the last few days they were going to be in the house we used straw, mostly because we ran out of bedding but it still worked fine. I wouldn't recommend using straw for young ducklings though. It's so hard finding good bedding that is easy to clean out cause ducks are just so darn messy.