Can you use the deep litter method with geese and ducks?

[moenmitz]

I have been using straw and cleaning it out daily-oh lordy what a yucky mess-12 geese and 7 ducks make a lot of poop! They are only indoors at night now, a modified dog house with a covered pen attached to it. In the mornings it is just solid wet poop! I had initially used pine shavings with them, but after two days (being cleaned 3 times daily-all new shavings each time) the stench was unbearable. WOuld it have been better if I had just put new on top of the old? I am having SO much fun with my birds-first time I have had any-so I just need to figure out how to make living with them ...not unpleasant!

 

[Katy]

I've never tried it with my ducks, but I don't think it would work very well.

 

[FutureChickenMan]

with all the moisture ducks and geese bring in on their feet, you'll be fighting a loosing battle. Is the floor dirt? If so, you'd be better off getting a mini-roto tiller and just till the poop in every couple of days.

and yes, geese do poop a huge amount.

 

[Sparrow]

I thought about that too, considering my 2 6+ week old White Chinese Geese are living in my antique bathtub and I have 4 ducks the same age living in a stock tank alongside my bed. Neither brooder gets to be smelling badly, they are huge areas for them to live in and I just clean both of them every day and a half. I refresh a new layer of bedding half way between cleanings. The biggest issue I have with mine is them getting soaked so quickly. Even my tiny few-day-old ducklings live in a huge Rubbermaid tub and they STILL get the place soaked every day!

I get a kick out of it, actually. It has to be fun to be a carefree little duck!

 

[DuckyBoys]

I originally thought that deep litter might be an option but it isn't.

My guys are only in the pens at night and even then I MUST do a complete bedding change at least once a week or it smells to high heaven.

 

[dixygirl]

I am begining to think the gravel in an outdoor pen idea is good. You could just hose it off regularly instead of changing it. Maybe large round river rocks on top instead of sand and grit that i had proposed. If you use sand and grit it would wash away but with large heavy river rocks it will take away the hard edge of the pointy gravel yet still be stationary and practical.

Ducks don't do the dust bath thing like chickens so they don't need dirt. In nature on the water edge where ducks are naturally, you would see sand, river rocks water and tall grasses. Maybe forget about bringing them indoors. Just create a beach like scene outdoors in an enclosed space and hose it off to clean.

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

This is interesting...

Right now I currently have 6 ducks and all of my chickens spending their nights in a single 8ftX8ft shed that is our coop (we're starting the chicken coop tomorrow, we've all been ill). We have about 4 inches of shavings in there that I mix up daily. The ducks have been in their coop for over a month and I have never done a complete change on the coop yet. There is literally NO odor at all and I have next to no flies in their either. I use a pitch fork and turn all the shavings daily, smooth them all out and occasionally add some fresh.

I do not allow my birds to have food and water in their coop at night, not sure if you guys do.

 

[dixygirl]

Great idea. I just took out their food and water for the night. I am sure it will make a big difference in the amount of poop and sloshed water.
Thanks.

 

[DuckyBoys]

My guys all eat feed, and therefore must have water, in their pens. That is the only time they get feed, the rest of the day they forage. I never really intended this practice to become habit - but it has and they are used to it. As soon as the sun goes down they run towards the barn to eat. I was going to take away their bathing tub but didn't have the heart to do it.

They have such a routine - come in the pen, scarf down the feed, drink, bathe, preen, sleep. It literally takes like 15 minutes and they are snoozing.

I'm sure I could change the rountine and take the water and food away - but I hate the thought of them stuck in the pen for 12 hours with no food or water, especially knowing full well that they are not sleeping but active most of the night.

Anyway - the deep litter method doesn't work for us at all, probably because of the food and water.

 

[moenmitz]

Hmmm, interesting. I too am feeding them at night, thus water as well. Perhaps I could change up the routine a bit though and see what happens. I am thinking on the rock idea-if I put enough sand underneath, would it drain well? I want my geese to forage by day, but maybe I could put their "house" and enclosed pen on such a base. Right now it is, WAS, rather, grass-now it is mud/poop with hay on top, lol. Well, where this is will there is way, right? Perhaps I will just stick a cork in theri butts before they head off to bed...