Ducklings and pine pellets

[TabbieFayth]

So, as anyone has raised ducks know, they are mess. Right now I am housing 8 bantams and 4 Indian runners in a brooder pool. Plenty of space, and lots of cuddling. I clean the pool twice a day because of the water (i have a good setup for that. But you know, ducks )

Can you use pine pellets in the brooder? Would I just go through a bag of that way faster than shavings? Currently I layer newspaper, then puppy pads, and then pine SHAVINGS for traction. Ideally I want to replace shavings with pellets.

The brooder and pellets in question

 

[Bookworm0124]

I've done it and it was fine. It made clean up a lot easier, and I found them a lot more absorbant than the shavings. I even did a mix of both using the pellets mostly by their water because well... Ducks.

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

We took 2x4 and made a square and then put some mesh on top and put a 16 qt feed pan below it and put the watered in the middle, it works pretty good. Unless you change out those pine pellets twice daily they are going to expand very quickly and turn into a watery soupy mess

 

[TabbieFayth]

We took 2x4 and made a square and then put some mesh on top and put a 16 qt feed pan below it and put the watered in the middle, it works pretty good. Unless you change out those pine pellets twice daily they are going to expand very quickly and turn into a watery soupy mess

We have the water on top a pan covered with a cooling rack. It does catch most the water. Wish I could remember what I did last year. I hardly had a watery mess to clean up. I remember I only needed to replace puppy pads by the water once a day. I'm think I might have raised the water tray on a set of bricks so they couldn't also lay in it while drinking. Maybe...I need to find my photos.

 

[Bookworm0124]

Another option for their water is to cut a hole at their head level into an empty milk jug. Then they can get their heads in to drink and clean their eyes and noses but they can't make a big mess. I put it on a wire cooling rack on top of a container to catch anything that might fall.

 

[TabbieFayth]

Another option for their water is to cut a hole at their head level into an empty milk jug.

I have to make sure the bantam chicks can reach the water safely as well. I have the water on a tray to catch water. I've been watching them. The ducks like to lay in the water and then run laps around the pool LOL.

I found a solution though. Bricks! It helps to prevent the water from making the entire brooder wet. As the pads soak up water, the bricks will also soak up water, slowing down the spread. I only had to clean it once yesterday morning. And now the opposite side I can just toss more shavings on top before needing to clean it all out in another day or 2.