Excellent bedding for baby ducks/geese!!!

[FisherMOM]

We use a pellet stove, and have for over 10 years. I have always been afraid of them eating the pellets if we were to break a bag open in the garage.

I think mine would try to eat it. They are a bit longer than pellets.

If I had any bags to spare, I might try with my ducks, but then again... I can almost guarantee that they'd eat them.

 

[jvls1942]

Quote:
if your birds are already eating normally, they most likely will not eat them,, I have watched my ducks pick up things and mouth them and then spit it out..

put one or two pellets in their feed dish and watch to see what they do with them..

 

[Toast n Jelly]

Quote:
Jim aren't they a little hard for an egg to land on? Plus they only crumble down if they're wet and the chickens don't really urinate like other animals. How do you find them useful? I'm dying to use them for the chickens but can't really justify using them when there's a lack of wetness.

 

[nettie]

i got horse bedding (shavings) and so far it's working good... I have a home made wood brooder, so i put puppy pads down under the shaving to help with cleaning up the shavings when they get nasty. thanks for the idea!

 

[jvls1942]

Quote:
Jim aren't they a little hard for an egg to land on? Plus they only crumble down if they're wet and the chickens don't really urinate like other animals. How do you find them useful? I'm dying to use them for the chickens but can't really justify using them when there's a lack of wetness.

How far do you think an egg drops???

we had over three dozen layed today and none of them broke.

I just wanted to try them dry, as they are, just for nest material..I figur if the hen has wet feet or belly feathers these pellets would take up the moisture.. I do not like hay or straw that much because it seems to me that the lice and fleas thrive in that enviornment

the chickens seem to like them
and I found eggs even in the bottom two corner nests where the chickens never laid before.

...jiminwisc...

 

[Toast n Jelly]

?

How far do you think an egg drops???

Jim I was being sincere, no need for sarcasm

I prob. should have mentioned that I have some older hens that lay softer shelled eggs and also have some pretty heavy breeds that step not too lightly into the nests. A soft-shelled egg meeting with resistance would not stand a chance.

I think that Fishermom's idea of putting them in the run is a very good idea and I just may try that.

 

[RockyToggRanch]

I'm also using the pellets. I'm in week 3 and have not had to change it. I just added a scoop now and then. They're right in the main living area and we have not had a bad smell yet at all. (18 chicks.)

I just changed to them in the horse stalls a month ago. Awsome there, too. I have not had to strip a stall completly yet. That's after about 6 weeks! I was doing them every 2 weeks at least, with the shavings!

Be careful using the woodstove pellets as they may have other wood in them that's toxic to horses. Probably okay for other animals, but I won't chance it.

The equine fresh brand is $6.47 for 40 lbs at our TSC. Our agway sells a 35lb bag (not sure the brand) for 20 cents less.

 

[KrisRose]

I'm going to have to try these. There was another thread where the poster used them in the coop and luved them. I thought it might be a bit expensive to convert so I haven't done it yet.
The nesting box is a good idea. I have chickens who sleep in the boxes and leave a mess behind.

 

[becky3086]

Very interesting. Glad I read this post. Just cleaned out the brooder yesterday that just has 2 ducklings and 2 silkies. I have a strong stomach but that really tested it. Today the brooder smells again

 

[Fudgie]

HA HA SHELLEY! Passing on the good word on this cool stuff!!!!! YOU GO GIRL!!!

I started using these on the brooder kids I have in the house. I had been using the pine shavings and lost a BUNCH of my duck babies to choking on the pine shavings.

Yes they try to eat them but they spit them right back out because they have no taste. When we are done with them in the house, we scrape them out of the brooder box and toss them on the floor in the run for the bigger chickens and call ducks. This helps absorb the water and moisture in their pens as well. (this stuff dries out really quickly too!)

Yes they LOVE to dust bathe in this stuff. It dries really quickly and the ducklings and chicks don't waddle around in wetness all day long. You only need enough to cover the bottom of the pen. as it gets wet it expands and fluffs up. This is the most awesome product for bedding. I think it is the same as the wood pellets for wood stoves. Just not sure the wood stove pellets are made of non toxic(to chicks) wood.

I am glad I could help ya out Shelley! Hows the chicks and duckies doing?