Duck! (in the house?)

[Bleenie]

I brood mine indoors but thats about it, lol.

 

[Amiga]

Quote:
That's close to what I'm doing this winter.

We have a walkout basement. These ducks don't like the cold so much, so I have a puppy playpen, three feet high, about 60 sf set up in the basement. I toss straw on the floor. The bottom half of a large dog crate with sawdust pellets in it catches water splash from their water bowl. When it is warm enough outside, out they go. But they spend nights in their basement pen in the winter.

I gather up damp straw once a day near their watering station, replace wet sawdust pellets in the crate bottom, and put a few large handfuls of fresh straw out daily. About every three or four days, all the straw gets replaced.

I had intended for them to stay in their insulated but unheated outdoor house, but their behavior indicated otherwise.

By the way, they had been laying only three eggs a day (for all ten runners) for several weeks. I had read it was the reduced daylight. I was not concerned.

But now, about three weeks after having the indoor space, we are getting seven, eight, or nine eggs daily. The ducks look better, just a little more pizazz and activity and chipperness. They are getting a couple of additional hours of light from the basement, but I think much of it has to do with having the energy they were otherwise using staying warm and alive.

This is working out so well I plan to set up taller fence panels in the basement and just make this part of standard winter operating procedure. I had the space set aside in case of extreme weather anyway.

As long as I keep up with fresh bedding, smell is minimal. Only time it is at all unpleasant is right after someone puts out that occasional really stinky plop. That's just a few minutes at a time, once a day or two.

By the way, if I recall correctly, there is a blog associated with indoorducks. If you just looked at their store and products, yes, you would just see the diaper harnesses and clothing. I have some booties for treating bumblefoot and they are wonderful!

Perhaps if you search the forum archives you can see some of what they do to care for their ducks. They have encouraged me in so many ways.