best bedding for ducks

[688peterl]

when my ducks go outside in the duck house/run that im building, what bedding should i use in the house (im dont want to use any in the run, the floor is gonna be exterior plywood so they can just run on that cant they), what are the pros and cons of each option, straw shaving hay etc

 

[688peterl]

i was thinking of using a waterproof dog bed, my dog had one until he ripped it to shreds and it was padding with a zip off cover that was waterproof and soft and cosy at the same time, and the padding never got wet even when he used to tip his water bowl on top of the bed, so maybe that would be good but then i would need to clean it everyday wouldnt i? whoever said keeping ducks as pets is easy needs a reality check

 

[688peterl]

i had a really good idea today though... I can get a big water bottle a washable cover and fill it with boiling water before i go to bed every night and they will be nice and warm

 

[688peterl]

i think i just answered my own question lol

 

[rainplace]

I used a hot water bottle when my were younger too. It was always cold in the morning

 

[688peterl]

Quote:
what did you use for bedding?

 

[rainplace]

For the duck house. I have a plywood floor with lino on top. Currently I use wood shavings.

 

[688peterl]

Quote:
i might get lino too, would you recommend it? actually im not using plywood im using exterior oriented strand board OSB, i was gonna slightly raise the run on legs and drill tiny holes in the OSB for the water to drain so it doesnt get too wet.

doesnt the lino make your ducks slip? i had mine on the bathroom floor tiles before when i took them out of the bath and they looked like bambi on ice

 

[688peterl]

 

[rainplace]

no it doesn't make them slip because there are wood shavings on top.

when I used a hot water bottle they were inside my house, with a heat lamp, and towels for bedding. The bottle didn't stay warm all through the night.

you don't want to have them on anything that is porous because all that urine and poo is going to soak into it. That's why I use lino and wood shavings. The wood shavings absorb their waste and the lino everything from leaking into the floor.