Dirty nesting boxes after one night

[Miss Lydia]

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Purple is my favorite color too! how funny. Nice house too.

 

[bayyjayy]

GUESS what my favorite color is? Just guess!

I love it. I love the idea of using grass. What do you do in the winter when there is no grass....forgot to see where you live, so you may get grass all year. Very clever!

Florida! Answered my own question. My grass is under snow in the winter.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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I know the grass if free but we're like you can't find much around here in the winter time. But I buy my pine shaving at TSC and one of them bales last along time because it's so easy to clean the poop out or if it's deep enough you just stir it up and add when needed. And they use the shaving for their nesting material.

for years I use saw dust for bedding because I could get it for free, but the company I was getting it from went under so that enede that, but you might check around at people who do tree work and see what they are doing with their sawdust or wood workers.

 

[bayyjayy]

The bag of shavings I get is only about $7....which was a surprise to me.....it is a HUGE bag, and when we used to have hamsters, I used to buy the shavings at Walmat....such an itty bitty bag for FIVE BUCKS!


I have decided I am going to try both of these ways, though the shavings is going to be the winner at first because of winter. I really liked using the shavings in my brooder, so I think it is going to be a good thing. I just wish that ducks didn't go potty in their bed like other animals...but we all know thats not gonna happen!!!

 

[featherfinder]

Yeah florida but the grass slows down here in the winter so we dont mow as often. Maybe once a month in winter. I can get a bail of hay at my feed store for $10 and that will last me threw winter with regular care. Also I am in an area where my ducks do not need to be locked up at night so they sleep where they want. Inside the duck house or outside in the run. They do go in the house to lay their eggs. I locked them up everynight for a couple weeks till they laid their eggs and got use to that then let them out all night.

 

[bayyjayy]

SO......that means that I don't have to lock them up at night once they start laying their eggs and realize where I want them to lay? I wondered since I have two girls laying in the middle of my yard....I put some eggs and now two golf balls to encourage them to keep doing it. I wondered if the ones I lock up each night start laying and I get them to lay where I want if I could start not locking them up after they figure it out. Nice to know! I have never locked any ducks up, ever, and have never lost any, though the eggs that my mallards laid last year kept getting eaten. I lost five nests last year....and each time I was SAD and TICKED! So, that is why I am locking my Anconas up....I want their eggs to be safe.

 

[featherfinder]

Just make sure there ar no predators around to get them. I have yet to lose one to. When i add a female to mine i lock them up for a few weeks at night all my ducks together. From sunset till 9-10 the next day and they have usually laid by then and after they got the hang of that they were allowed out all night and still go there to lay. My ducks have their house inside a 10 X 10 run which is where they are at night and then in the morning the door to the run is open allowing them into the rest of the yard for the day.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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Lately the bales of shavings at TSC has been 4.99 and I usually buy 4 to 5 bags at a time, takes up room in my feed/junk house but at least I know I have enough and don't have to worry if I need some and don't have any.