Ducklings coming... brooder bedding?

[Khaki mama]

Hi I am setting up a temporary brooder in a rubbermaid bin right next to the incubater, but once they get a little bit bigger I am going to move them to a kiddie pool with wood shavings. So I just want to know what bedding to put in the temporary brooder, I don't know if I should use wood shavings because I heard they could choke on them. Any advice is much appreciated.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Hi I am setting up a temporary brooder in a rubbermaid bin right next to the incubater, but once they get a little bit bigger I am going to move them to a kiddie pool with wood shavings. So I just want to know what bedding to put in the temporary brooder, I don't know if I should use wood shavings because I heard they could choke on them. Any advice is much appreciated.

In my Rubbermaid tote I like to just use old towels or puppy pee pads for the first few days. After that I use the puppy pads under the wood shavings to help absorb spilled water. They will sometimes nibble at the wood shavings but I've never had a problem with them swallowing it.

 

[Khaki mama]

In my Rubbermaid tote I like to just use old towels or puppy pee pads for the first few days. After that I use the puppy pads under the wood shavings to help absorb spilled water. They will sometimes nibble at the wood shavings but I've never had a problem with them swallowing it.

Thank you so much. I want sure if the choking thing was true. Do you think it would work if I put paper towel and then shavings on top of them instead of puppy pads?

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Thank you so much. I want sure if the choking thing was true. Do you think it would work if I put paper towel and then shavings on top of them instead of puppy pads?

You can.. But I think it will make a bigger mess than what it would be worth. Paper towels pretty much dissolve when they get wet. I would be more worried about them finding the paper towel once it got wet and getting pieces off of it.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Having a nice flat non slip surface is good for the first day or two until they can get their feet under them.
After that you'll want as much help absorbing moisture and stink as possible. I'm not saying its impossible they could swallow shavings and choke.. But mostly they just nibble everything to see if it's edible.

 

[Khaki mama]

You can.. But I think it will make a bigger mess than what it would be worth. Paper towels pretty much dissolve when they get wet. I would be more worried about them finding the paper towel once it got wet and getting pieces off of it.

Ok. I will stick with the towels and then when I move them in to the kiddie pool I usually just use the shavings and when I clean all the shavings out I just hose it out then dry.

 

[Khaki mama]

Changed my mind and set up an entirely new brooder. Took a dog crate, and put a towel on the tray that slides in and out then put a grippy mat underneath the food and water. Plus made a little cardboard cutout in case they get too hot(which I doubt will happen) and going to put in some sides on the crate tomorrow which will be day 26 for the duck eggs. Fingers crossed most of them will hatch.

 

[JaeG]

I've used straw right from the start. They've nibbled on it but I don't think they've managed to actually eat any. Initially I had puppy pads under it until I found them trying to pull bits off them. So now it is just straw. They do try to eat everything!

A tray with some type of grill over it with the water on top of that really helps to limit the wetness of the bedding.

Enjoy them - ducklings are so much fun.

 

[Khaki mama]

I know they are the cutest things ever. I had three before 2 khaki and muscovy. We wound up getting the khakis after a muscovy walked into our yard out of no where. But once they got big the muscovy turned out to be Male and tried to kill our khakis so we had to give him away. but my brooder back then was a mess and I had to clean it out every morning hopefully this one will be better.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Changed my mind and set up an entirely new brooder. Took a dog crate, and put a towel on the tray that slides in and out then put a grippy mat underneath the food and water. Plus made a little cardboard cutout in case they get too hot(which I doubt will happen) and going to put in some sides on the crate tomorrow which will be day 26 for the duck eggs. Fingers crossed most of them will hatch.View attachment 2145997

You Will definitely want to put something around the sides until they get a little bigger. They will be able to wedge themselves between those bars just past their little winglets and get stuck.