Duck bedding

[duckmanjim]

I dont have any geese. Just mallards and the plastic is completely covered with alfalfa.

 

[tmorgan46]

I don't know about your geese but mine would probably chew the plastic and eat it, which wouldn't be good.

Yes Miss Lydia, both of mine would as well. Great catch. And I'm glad I had other chores to take care of before reading your post. But no worries, I'll stick with what I've got in place, the rubber stall mats clean up easily and with plenty of straw / hay as bedding, all the gang seems to be doing just fine.

Troy & Tina

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes Miss Lydia, both of mine would as well. Great catch. And I'm glad I had other chores to take care of before reading your post. But no worries, I'll stick with what I've got in place, the rubber stall mats clean up easily and with plenty of straw / hay as bedding, all the gang seems to be doing just fine.

Troy & Tina

Be sure to buy one of those back support wraps before dragging the stall mat out for cleaning. lol
My geese even chew on their wooden house grrr.

 

[duckmanjim]

Hmmmm note to self, Dont Get Geese!

 

[tmorgan46]

Hmmmm note to self, Dont Get Geese!

Oh, on the contrary! Momma Goose and Papa Goose make the flock what it is!! They're the most vocal, the most curious and usually are the ones who learn the quickest. I originally built a small temporary coop until I could build a permenant one. Getting the six ducks and two geese to shift from one to the other has proven to be quite the challenge, but now that I've figured out that getting the two geese trained first makes the rest of them fall into line. They do remind me of goats though... If it's not nailed down, they'll try to eat it!! I scavenged my back yard after reading the thread on here about metal poisoning and such... But on the plus side, it's made me pick up after myself much more thoroughly than I ever have!!! All in all, they get along with everyone and really round out our small flock. A pure joy to have and be around!!!

Troy & Tina

 

[cayugaducklady]

More info please . Is the alfalfa cubes/pellets/ hay?

 

[duckmanjim]

I get bales of Alfalfa hay from my local feed store!

 

[maplebendfarmmn]

Ok, so I did some research and found a product called "Stall Dry". It's safe to use with birds and other animals. It is a DE and clay mix that helps to dry the litter out and neutralize the ammonia. What you're supposed to do is clean out the old bedding, apply a layer of Stall Dry on the floor and cover with your usual bedding (I have been using pine shavings). Each day I add a sprinkle of the powder over the top and "fluff" the bedding with a pitch fork to mix things up a bit. I add a little more or less depending on how messy the ducks were the night before. So far it has been working great! No bad odor, dryer litter and happier ducks! Normally a bag of litter would last me MAYBE 3-4 days before having to clean out completely and start over. It has been over a week with the same bedding and some spot cleaning. I am really pleased with this product so far. I was able to purchase it at my local L&M fleet farm $14.99 for a 40# bag. I like it so much I did the same in the chicken coop. I have used maybe half of the bag for an initial set up of my chicken coop and duck run and daily maintenance. Love it!

 

[maplebendfarmmn]

Update. Stall is still doing well with original bedding and daily "fluffings" and application of Stall Dry. Will need to add a little new shaving today though.

 

[User353335]

Pine shavings base on top of plywood floor. Thick bed of straw on top of the pine shavings where they usually sleep / nest. More straw in the winter.