The wire bottom cage with the pull out bottom works best for me. I fill it with shavings. I still have to empty it regularly! They are very messy and grow really FAST once they get going. They also hog down tons of chow and water to support that very fast growth. The ducks don't seem to mind the wire too much. We use a small wire cage at the beginning, and then graduate them to the rabbit cage very soon.
Once I saw where a person set up some sinks and set their waterfowl brooders on top of them. That would be great because you could just wash the poop down the drain!
A swim in the bathtub daily helps to let them clean off, but I always make sure they can get under a heat lamp afterwards to dry off because they can chill until they get their feathers. Otherwise, they don't really even need much heat after the first 3 weeks or so, unless you keep them outside or in the basement where it is chilly.
I need to find the heat schedule for ducklings, because it seems to be very different than for chicks.
DeAnna
Oh, yea. I was also going to add that for a waterer, I use gallon milk cartons with holes cut in the side for them to stick their heads in. It helps to keep the pen drier. I have to use several because as they grow, they need deeper water, so I cut the holes different heights. I was using ice cream buckets, but the milk cartons are easier to see when they are empty. When they get bigger, I have to put a cable tie on the handle to hold it in place because they will play with the waterer and drag it all over the cage. Ducks love to play! I cut out part of the top so I can fill it from the top easily.
(like are they plastic or cardboard cartons?)
