General coop cleaning and duck questions

[DuckyDonna]

Thanks - do you have a big run? I'm just trying to figure out if in my little enclosed run I need to scoop up the wet and dirty straw constantly and add dry, or if I can turn it up with the rake and that will be fine.

So sorry to hear about the falcon. That's awful. We've had hawks perch above their coop, and last week an owl landed on it - yikes! We just started thinking about building a little fenced area and putting grass, outside of the run. Would definitely need a cover for it though.

I'm about to have a huge run but regardless I just throw the used hay out there if I don't need it for mulch in the garden and it makes nice and soft for their feet. I don't think it matters much as far as it being wet when it's outside. Its the inside the coop where they sleep that can mold and be bad for them so I make sure that isn't happening.

My husband is all about overkill so here is the new section of our run. You can see the welded wire to the top. He didn't want to ever see me holding a dead duck in my arms wailing away again. We are in phase II of this project right now and will probably have most of it covered by this weekend.

This is phase II and there will be phase III after this is done. Their pens are on the left side of the barn where you can see the opening. We'll be putting a tin roof over the part that is open. Huge right!

 

[sorce]

I love the look of the pond, but it would be my much more useful and easy to care for if it was above ground.

I wonder if you can't make a door on the left side, so you can sweep all the straw that way, and just shovel it into a compost pile right there.

Kill 3 stones with one bird.

Sorce

 

[quackiemama]

I'm about to have a huge run but regardless I just throw the used hay out there if I don't need it for mulch in the garden and it makes nice and soft for their feet. I don't think it matters much as far as it being wet when it's outside. Its the inside the coop where they sleep that can mold and be bad for them so I make sure that isn't happening.

My husband is all about overkill so here is the new section of our run. You can see the welded wire to the top. He didn't want to ever see me holding a dead duck in my arms wailing away again. We are in phase II of this project right now and will probably have most of it covered by this weekend.
View attachment 1917453 This is phase II and there will be phase III after this is done. Their pens are on the left side of the barn where you can see the opening. We'll be putting a tin roof over the part that is open. Huge right!
View attachment 1917454

That looks wonderful Donna. Good job hubby!

 

[CoriM]

I'm about to have a huge run but regardless I just throw the used hay out there if I don't need it for mulch in the garden and it makes nice and soft for their feet. I don't think it matters much as far as it being wet when it's outside. Its the inside the coop where they sleep that can mold and be bad for them so I make sure that isn't happening.

My husband is all about overkill so here is the new section of our run. You can see the welded wire to the top. He didn't want to ever see me holding a dead duck in my arms wailing away again. We are in phase II of this project right now and will probably have most of it covered by this weekend.
View attachment 1917453 This is phase II and there will be phase III after this is done. Their pens are on the left side of the barn where you can see the opening. We'll be putting a tin roof over the part that is open. Huge right!
View attachment 1917454

Oh wow, that is awesome!

 

[CrystaBub]

@DuckyDonna that looks amazing! Congrats on the new run!

@CoriM I don't free range either - my ducks get 'walked' the way most people walk their dogs - my ducks get walked every 1-2 hours. They walk around the yard, take a dip in the pond and then put themselves back in their run/house so I guess that means they like it I used to have a swimming place for them in their run but that just got too messy as I added more ducks - so it's only the pond for them now...

I do deep litter in the their house which is a mix of pine shavings and PDZ hay. I just scoop and fluff in the morning - with the scooped out mess going directly to the compost pile. I use sand mixed with PDZ sand in the run. I scoop the sand regularly with a cat litter box scooper that has a really long handle -works great and it goes to the compost pile too. I like the PDZ sand because it dries out really quick - I also spray it with a mild bleach solution weekly to kill any bacteria.

It took me about a year with ducks to finally feel like I got it all 'just right' - but I'm sure I'll find another project for my husband soon b/c it is a job that is never really done LOL. Good luck to you!!!

 

[Gerty0630]

My ducks are almost 4.5 months old and have been in their coop for the last couple of months. I have a few questions and am looking forward to any advice anyone can offer. I live in the Pacific NW, so rainy winters, rarely snow or freezing. Attaching a picture of the coop and run my husband built. He installed a little pond in it but the ducks won't swim in it, except occasionally for a few minutes when it's fresh water, and I do change it once a day. They mostly view it as a giant water dish, which is frustrating. At first I thought it was because they couldn't touch the bottom, though there are two elevated portions along the edge where they can stand on a paver and hop out easily. So, I filled the whole thing with rounded pebbles. That just serves to trap all their food sediment and make it really stinky. I think I should go ahead and take all those out, since it didn't improve the swimming situation anyway. That's my first issue.

Secondly, I'm just not knowing for sure how everyone is keeping their coop clean. I have 6 ducks, and they poop a lot, as everyone knows. I was going to try to do the deep litter method. There is bare dirt beneath the run portion, and linoleum tiles in the enclosed coop portion. So I've been piling on straw and a tiny bit of pine shavings. A couple times a day I rake it around and sprinkle some fresh straw to cover up the wettest or poopiest areas. I'm shoveling out loads of yucky straw every week and I don't really know the best way to dispose of so much straw. Right now I'm stashing it in the woods surrounding my yard, but I just don't know what's best. Up until a few weeks ago I did have the rounded pebbles around my pond, but when one of my ducks got bumblefoot I became afraid about that surface and covered that area with straw. *Bumblefoot almost completely gone!
Would love any advice on how to keep things clean and what to do with so much straw!!

And finally, after building such a lovely coop, we realized that the ducks mostly want to come and hang out in the backyard and be by us and forage around. And swim in their blue kiddie pool, which they adore so much more than the nice little pond we put in their run. In the good weather this has worked out fine, but I feel like we're in for a really long and boring winter of them being stuck in the coop with no foraging. We have lots of predators in the woods surrounding my house, so free-range is not an option. Anyone else in a similar situation have a creative solution? I get nervous leaving them in my backyard unsupervised and I know hanging out outside with the ducks isn't going to work very often in the winter. Are they okay being contained in their run and coop area during the wet and cold months?

Thanks for bearing with me on this long email, and thanks in advance for any advice! View attachment 1917114 View attachment 1917115 View attachment 1917116

My ducks have been funny about swimming pools. I have a set of girls who will swim in literally anything, and a set of girls who prefer a small kiddie pool, clean water only. I think it's just the way some of them are! Stinks though after you put the work in for a nice pool and they turn away from it!

Keeping a duck coop clean is a loaded statement. No duck coop will ever be clean. I struggled with that when first getting ducks. I am a very clean person and wanted the ducks to have a clean environment. Unfortunately as you know, ducks are far from clean. I used to try to clean out poop daily, weekly, whatever. It got SO frustrating. I had tried many different bedding solutions in their coop and honestly, the easiest and most stress free is simply straw. At least it was for me. Come to terms with the fact that their coop wont ever be *clean* sprinkle some barn lime or pdz down to eliminate smell and pests, put a good layer of straw down, then sprinkle new straw on top of the old every 3-5 days depending on how small an area they have and how quickly it gets caked in poop. Do an ENTIRE cleanout once a month in nicer months. In winter months do deep litter method. Everyone has their own method, this has worked out best and easiest for me! During winter months I also put cracked corn and scratch grains in their coop for them to "forage" through the straw for. Keeps them busy on cold days. As well as fresh treats!

 

[DuckyDonna]

Oh wow, that is awesome!

thanks everyone! We finished the top framing on phase II today and tomorrow we'll start rolling the fencing on the top. That's the part where hubby has to get up there and screw the fencing onto the frame. Then all the ducks will be able to move in there which will give them twice the room they have in the phase I area. I'm sure they're excited!

 

[MerryMeridional]

thanks everyone! We finished the top framing on phase II today and tomorrow we'll start rolling the fencing on the top. That's the part where hubby has to get up there and screw the fencing onto the frame. Then all the ducks will be able to move in there which will give them twice the room they have in the phase I area. I'm sure they're excited!

You should be excited! It looks amazing....lots of room and very well made

 

[CoriM]

@Gerty0630 That makes me feel better about the duck pool situation. I just spent all morning clearing the pebbles out of the bottom, so now, even if they don't swim in it, at least it won't be smelly. I drain it every day and put in fresh water, and that's the only time they may hop in for a few minutes. But, they've been in and out of the kiddie pool in my backyard this morning for the last couple of hours. One thing I've learned - ducks don't like new things or change very much.

I think what I hear you saying is that I just need to lower my standards for cleanliness, and that that's okay, the ducks will be fine. I will get my hands on some of the PDZ and try to relax a bit.

Thanks for the tip on the corn. I just tossed some in their straw to see if they would enjoy that. I just bought a bag a couple weeks ago but haven't given it to them before.

Thanks all for the tips!

 

[Gerty0630]

@Gerty0630 That makes me feel better about the duck pool situation. I just spent all morning clearing the pebbles out of the bottom, so now, even if they don't swim in it, at least it won't be smelly. I drain it every day and put in fresh water, and that's the only time they may hop in for a few minutes. But, they've been in and out of the kiddie pool in my backyard this morning for the last couple of hours. One thing I've learned - ducks don't like new things or change very much.

I think what I hear you saying is that I just need to lower my standards for cleanliness, and that that's okay, the ducks will be fine. I will get my hands on some of the PDZ and try to relax a bit.

Thanks for the tip on the corn. I just tossed some in their straw to see if they would enjoy that. I just bought a bag a couple weeks ago but haven't given it to them before.

Thanks all for the tips!

There is a company called First Saturday Lime who makes an organic lime that you can put into duck pools/waters to keep algae out if you've got that problem as well (it's edible so no problem if/when the ducks drink the water)! We sure did this year. Lots of poop, lots of algae in the pools!

In the nicest way, yes, haha. Believe me, I had to do the same and honestly am still working on it!

I'm not sure where you live but if it's a warmer climate still it's not good to give until winter as the cracked corn helps maintain body temps which is why it's best during winter time!

It's all trial and error as with anything else. I can think something is the best and it might not work for you. That was one of the hardest things getting ducks for the first time. Many many things others suggested simply didn't work for me and that's okay!

Best of luck!!