Deep litter method with ducks

[Duckduckgoosie]

Using straw in my duck pen, trying to figure out the water corner and our instant fly problem.

I have fly traps which help...a little. Reading other threads I’m going to add fly paper.

Water corner is now a raised bed of pea gravel with decomposed granite on top with water buckets sitting in middle. Rest of coop is straw. Definitely helping but still get some wet bedding just outside the edges. I am in for a hot, humid summer and don’t think I can leave my ducks without water overnight. Maybe Without food? They are five/six weeks old.

I was turning the straw daily, and then adding fresh, but was told turning it would spreading fly eggs (??) so I stopped turning and have just been adding fresh without turning for a week. I try to remove wet straw end of day, but it’s been raining so much here that the very edges of the coop are probably damp. Definite ammonia smell yesterday when removing the damp straw neatest the water corner. So, thinking I should in fact be turning it.

I’ve been raising 14 since they hatched and will be rehoming 8, so our numbers dropping may help a little too. Ducks are in and out of their pen during the day, getting used to more free ranging in the yard with them.

 

[JNC]

When I had ducks I tried the deep littler method. It never seemed to work and I think is because there’s to much poop and it keeps adding up so fast that it doesn’t have enough time to decompose. You also have to have the right climate. I’ve found that pine shavings are way more absorbant but I switched back to straw since it’s cheaper. I also had a fly problem. I got rid of it by cleaning it everyday and putting new straw every day and putting barn lime before putting the new straw. I’m pretty sure it’s at 6wks when they don’t need any food in there. And since there Is no food at night they don’t need the water either. It’s so much cleaner without food and water. But If it’s that hot you can try putting a bowl of small ice cubes in there and at night give them frozen peas with water as a snack before bedtime

 

[fatty and friends]

i clean all the wet/poopy spots daily and then a full cleaning once a week, ducks poop a lot and need a clean area daily

 

[Miss Lydia]

I love using deep litter and have for years. since 2004, Would never go back. Pine shaving are def more absorbent. I clean out the wet poopy bedding daily and have never had a problem with flies inside their coop. Outside I use those fly traps with the stinky stuff inside. inside I use. these. I have 3 coops and use these in each one they last 4 months.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

I would never recommend hay or straw for deep litter method only pine shavings. When hay and straw get wet they mold FAST. It doesn't help that ducks love to throw water around and it leaks to the bottom causing a stagnant pool if waste water. Only use straw or hay if you are changing it regularly otherwise you will end of with ducks that have respiratory problems.

Edit: I just wanted to add that we recently moved and barn that's on our new farm had a pigeon coop which had pigeons in it until right before they sold it to us. They used the deep litter method with straw and oh my goodness that was the most horrid thing to clean. We had to wear masks the ammonia was making us cough it was terrible and was completely infested with mold, fleas and flies. It was maybe 3/4 foot deep.

 

[Miss Lydia]

How gross!

 

[indianaducks]

Straw has been the only thing that's kept my run from being a disgusting pit. Prior to using straw, even a small rain would turn it into multiple inches of muddy poopy YUCK. Last weekend, after switching to straw, we got another "100 year flood" which resulted in over 7 inches of rain in a 24 hour period. While my gravel driveway did not fare well, the duck pen actually stayed really dry. I did replace the straw afterwards, but so far I haven't found anything better. I use pine shavings in their sleeping quarters though.

 

[Ted_Harrell]

I also use a two gallon bucket instead of a five, that way when(not if) they muck it up, I can dump out less when I clean it. Even with pine shavings ducks are messy. If there is a way to get them on fresh grass daily(like in a tractor) then the mess is less. Good luck

 

[Beth42]

We use chopped Miscanthus in both our ducks and chickens in their runs. It is extremely absorbent, more so than straw or shavings. Have deep littered for years with the chucks, but new to ducks this year so will see how it goes.

 

[srhalford]

Not sure how big your run is, but I switched from deep litter pine shavings to sunset rock. It is bigger, rounded and more smooth on their feet than pea gravel. It has been a game changer for me. My coop has a built in pool which I do change every day (30 min tops), but I only have to hose down the run now. I do use straw where they lay eggs and change that as needed. My ducks only stay in there at night, so I dont worry about their feet being on rock all day. Rarely do I smell anything and as long as the rock is hosed down, flies are not an issue either. I do use deep litter pine shavings for my chickens. I rarely have to do anything there because they keep it turned for me. I posted pics as reference.