coop Q's

[PuddlesandNoodles]

SO i was wondering what to do for my ducks coop

i live in michigan, and have cold winters. so would it work to put some hay or straw down for some extra warmth or....what? just give me ANY tips you have

would i be able to put my heat lamp on if its positioned safely?

 

[duckling 1234]

Always put straw down, even if it's summer.... It's fine if your heat lamp's in there, just make sure they can't touch it. Do you already have your coop built?

 

[ChickenToes]

Ducks don't really need a heat lamp. They are much hardier than chickens and cold temps don't bother them as much. My ducks sleep out on snowbanks in the winter.

As for bedding, I really prefer wood shavings to straw or hay in the winter. Straw doesn't absorb anything, and the coop ends up messy and stinky. Wood shavings absorb more and help keep the smell down.

 

[PuddlesandNoodles]

No i don't have it built yet, i wanna get everything straight before i build it and then have to keep changing it ya know?

So i put straw down, and then change it how often?

and to keep it clean, do you think i could put (idk how to spell it) linulium (the flooring in kitchens, bathrooms, etc.) on the floor and up the wall a ways? then i can wash it down and keep it more sanitary

 

[ChickenToes]

Yes, you can put linoleum down. For straw, I would put down about 4 inches and change it out at least once a week. Wood shavings could stay in longer. Try doing a search here on BYC for 'the deep litter method.' It's a method using wood shavings that enables you to clean the coop only once a year.

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
You are going to wash it down in the winter?

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
Deep Litter works with hay and straw too. I think you are going to have big problems if you only clean out once per year! That is going to turn your coop into a compost bin once the temperature remains above freezing. Deep Litter is usually only used in cold climates during the cold season when it would be very difficult to clean the coop.