Duck coop question on bedding.

[cskotek]

This is my first winter with the coop. I just was wondering how often you other duck owners change the bedding.. I was just going to add a little on top as I go to keep it from smelling and keeping enough inches on the bottom to keep the ducks warm.. But not sure how everyone else is doing it... I was debating on doing it when the weather isnt so bad to clean the bedding out one last time before it gets COOOLLLLLDDDDD lol. Just looking for some other ideas



Size of coop: 25ish feet long by 6 feet wide

Bedding: mainly pine flake, there is a small layer of straw due to the ducks exploding the bales that where being stored in there -.-

How many ducks: about 50 all different sizes and one turkey.

 

[HeatherFeather]

If it gets bitter cold, you need really deep bedding-at least 10". Learned that the hard way. I used to turn all my poultry coops weekly and put new on top. It was def. easier at muck out time.

Now, I just add more, I am too busy with a baby and a whole farm to be fussy anymore. I mostly use straw, but also use hay if the sheep/goats are refusing and wasting a lot. I use shavings for younger animals. I add daily, and ALWAYS under the water, before changing the water. I prefer to water outside and I also bed the roofed run. I mostly clean the nests into the main area and add new to the nests each day.

I muck out once a year, but I don't use the coop much over the summer, everyone is out on pasture. Mucking is a lot harder if you haven't been turning, and it isn't very composted and still needs to sit another season b4 it is ok for the garden, if you grow greens. If you can put a pig in the coop for a day that pretty much solves the hard to scoop problem.

 

[Going Quackers]

I pick clean, several times a week and at that time turn the bedding, as of late my big hens have been renovating the duck barn(they don't live there, they have their own coop BUT free range so gain access that way) BEST bedding turners ever lol

I use basic shavings here, i add to keep it well bedded we're bitterly cold so i want a good base... that is how i do things.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

I only change my straw bedding 2x per year. But I do pick, fluff, or add weekly.

 

[Carcajou]

I use a mix of peat moss and flake shavings. Pick and turn it daily and add shavings 2-3 times per week. Now that it is going to be in the teens every night for a while the bedding if frozen so I will add shavings each day until I can turn it again.

 

[TheWalkingDucks]

I completely clean out my coop once a week (even in this cold, but yikes! I am frozen afterwards lol) and then lay down a fresh layer of some thick straw. I only have a small coop though and three drakes. I couldn't imagine cleaning out a coop as large as yours weekly in this bitter cold hahaha!

 

[Going Quackers]

I completely clean out my coop once a week (even in this cold, but yikes! I am frozen afterwards lol) and then lay down a fresh layer of some thick straw. I only have a small coop though and three drakes. I couldn't imagine cleaning out a coop as large as yours weekly in this bitter cold hahaha!

Oh, you use straw! i was going to say all of it once a week? but straw is more apt to need to be especially in a small area, we bed our sheep on straw so i know how it does need a complete change over weekly.

 

[cosbackyard]

Using sand in the coop which I sift every couple of days. I'm not sure if it's going to be a good idea over the winter but so far so good.

 

[Amiga]

We have the basement pen, that stays 40is, and doesn't hold more than about 4 inches of bedding. In the winter, I continue daily room service - picking and fluffing, adding shavings every few days. I grab a handful of used bedding - all the way down, not just the top layer, and give a sniff. At the first sign of ammonia I do a big clean out. But that varies, and during the winter it could be three weeks.

When they were out in the duck house, I had a foot and a half of shavings mixed with dry peat moss (keeps the pH low, and I learned from compost school that helps reduce ammonia formation). I would pick and stir daily, and needed to to a big change out once or twice a year. I also would sometimes top the shavings with straw, that I replaced weekly - not much, just two or three inches. It was easy to rake off the top of the shavings.

 

[Going Quackers]

If it gets bitter cold, you need really deep bedding-at least 10". Learned that the hard way. I used to turn all my poultry coops weekly and put new on top. It was def. easier at muck out time.

Now, I just add more, I am too busy with a baby and a whole farm to be fussy anymore. I mostly use straw, but also use hay if the sheep/goats are refusing and wasting a lot. I use shavings for younger animals. I add daily, and ALWAYS under the water, before changing the water. I prefer to water outside and I also bed the roofed run. I mostly clean the nests into the main area and add new to the nests each day.

I muck out once a year, but I don't use the coop much over the summer, everyone is out on pasture. Mucking is a lot harder if you haven't been turning, and it isn't very composted and still needs to sit another season b4 it is ok for the garden, if you grow greens. If you can put a pig in the coop for a day that pretty much solves the hard to scoop problem.

LOL! glad i only read this stuff, my family wants a pig.. they don't need encouragement!