Brooder smell gone!

[mandelyn]

Last time I brooded ducks, there were 5 in a brooder with a solid floor. Changing towels twice a day still left an odor.

I knew I needed something different for 10. Did a wire bottom in a hutch type brooder. NO SMELL! Yay! Even with towels down for their little feet to get them started, I didn't want to put them directly onto the wire just yet.

I will never ever brood ducklings in something that has a solid bottom ever again. Having the air flow below has made all the difference! No wet bedding, no wet + heat+ confined space to create a smell. The towels around the water don't even get that wet, they dry out pretty well. I still change the towels twice a day because there is twice the amount of poo, but the odor doesn't get a chance.

This is great, I'm having so much fun with them!

 

[Amiga]

That is a great report! Next year I will likely brood a few ducklings. Having eleven kept me hopping! From here on out, I want to keep it to three or four. That limits me in regards to my source for ducklings, but I reckon it will work out fine. I may even be able to have a friend with an incubator do some hatching for me.

Anyway, great bit of information!

 

[Denninmi]

OK, but the poo and spilled water still has to go somewhere. Its falling through the wire, keeping the ducks clean, but what is collecting it, and how is it that that isn't smelly?

I'm doing the same thing right now with some Cornish cross chickens, keeping them in wire pens above great big rubbermade bins. The chickens are a LOT cleaner, because all of the droppings and mess fall through. And, by cleaning the bins daily, there is almost no odor.

 

[NYRIR]

Quote:
I was wondering the same thing....what's it falling into? I brood in the house...for now .Am curious though as I have 6 eggs about to hatch now.3 are pipped...

 

[mandelyn]

It's falling into a big black "all purpose" tub I bought at Lowes. Forgot to mention that.

It's larger than the cement mixing pan, found them both in the lumber aisle.

I just hose that out once a day. May need to bump it to twice a day when they double in size.

 

[Denninmi]

Thanks. I figured it was something along those lines.

I just bought a bag of "Sweet PDZ" horse stall drier and deodorant at the feed store, and it really does work. Its a blend of a couple of kinds of minerals, and it helps a lot to keep the odor down. Plus, its non-toxic. You might want to check it out, some of that sprinkled in the bin would help later as they age.

 

[lovesgliders]

This is encouraging to me! I am procrastinating moving my ducks to a wire-floored glider cage that I have sitting around, but it's good to know that the smell will drop down once I do. (It has a built-in pan so all I'll have to do is slide that out and clean it twice a day.)

I just feel bad putting their little feeties on wire...

 

[lovesgliders]

Quote:
DucksForBackyards.com is where I got my little ones, and they were awesome. I ordered two but they threw in a freebie, and all arrived the picture of health.

 

[Amiga]

Thanks, lovesgliders, that sounds great! And I am thinking now about a very small wire bottomed cage for indoors (we're in New England and I am a professional duck spoiler) for brooding three or four. Last year was my first, with fifteen ducklings arriving, and eleven staying after my friend took her four home two weeks later. The brooder was a pen I could get into!

So, to keep the little flock at around 12, and have mixed ages so we can keep getting some eggs, I plan to bring in some new ducklings every few years. In my perfect world, ducks would never pass away, or at least they'd all reach a ripe old age. But I've lost a couple, now to oviduct related problems (working with a vet, doing what I can, learning as I go).

Wifezilla has a neat setup for brooding a small number of ducklings. I otta go peek at that again.

I'd consider using the limousine (a coated wire dog crate) but that is needed for occasional duck transport.

Maybe I need to get another limousine. Hmmmm.

 

[bibkel]

Picture of your setup? thanks.