How do you keep your duck house clean?

[kristen2678]

I took the advice of the folks here on the forum and went with the pellets. They are wonderful. I've also taken food & water out of their house. They don't need it 24/7 and have access to buckets of water as well as a pond from 6:30 am to dusk. Anywho, I did a layer of pellets and a thin layer of fine shavings over the top. I just pick the wet spots or solids, give it a stir and all is fresh!

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Pelleted horse bedding? I would be afraid the ducks would eat it! I've never actually seen it though...I'll check it out.

I use the deep pile method. Much too much work any other way and it makes for better compost when I do clean it out completely (3-4 times a year). I do shut them up in a small area (house) at night and like was said in another post, without water. They can go 8 or so hours without water.

I also use something called Sweet PDZ and sprinkle it over any poo places before I add bedding on top. Cuts down on the flies and the smell and is safe. It's used in horse stalls, primarily. It just takes a little sprinkle so it lasts a long time. I also spray the area with Odoban (ecalyptus scented) that I buy at Home Depot. I think that's more for me than for the ducks!

I use straw (not pine straw) in a confined run/pen that's attached to their house then in their house I use pine shavings used for horse stalls. I used the deep pile method in both areas. I do use the straw in their nest boxes in their house because I have found it to be the most absorbent and easiest to remove, which must be done there almost daily if you have any hopes of getting somewhat clean eggs.

I haven't figured out what to do in their main run. It's just dirt... and poo....I don't have easy access to haul gravel to it and gravel didn't work at all in their pen. Nasty mess. We've been thinking about sodding it. Might be a waste of money and time.

hundreds of ducklings and goslings hatched here all raised on pelleted bedding. No eating of it has happened, they are smarter than that.

 

[wildpeas]

I clean every morning. It takes less than 5 minutes.

I am also using the pellet bedding but I am pre-fluffing it in a wheelbarrow before I put it in. No real reason except I want to. I add new bedding once a week. I use a hand held leaf rake and a grain scoop to pick up the poo and scrape up any really wet spots. Then I fluff up the bedding, re-fluff the nest hay, and scoop out the waterer. I have a sand box under the waterer that keeps the bedding from getting wet.

I dont have any smell in the house and my eggs have all been pretty clean.

 

[ChickInDelight]

Sand floor! I have play sand, but want to switch to river sand.

Oh - I also installed a drain under my auto-waterer with flat rocks and larger round stones.

 

[tbitt]

Oh - I also installed a drain under my auto-waterer with flat rocks and larger round stones.

I did this also, buggers were drilling to china!

 

[harriedhomemaker]

scrape them all out once a week, hose out, let dry, rebed.

pelleted horse stall bedding, no water at night they can go 3-4 weeks without needing major cleaning.

Thank you! This is helpful.

Some days I'm a bit slow to get outside and let out the ducks, so I'm afraid I have to give them both food and water in their house. But I could probably spot clean it if I used the more absorbent horse bedding.

 

[harriedhomemaker]

where do you buy DE? do you have to buy food-grade DE, or some kind of livestock safe variety?

I use food grade and find it at my local feed store. I've seen it at tractors supply before.

Yes, it does need to be food grade. I buy this at TSC: http://www.tractorsupply.com/red-la...s-earth-with-calcium-bentonite-20-lb--1019864

 

[Dianuzhka]

can i use dry grass clippings for bedding??

 

[HauiBali]

can i use dry grass clippings for bedding??

Thats what I used in spring and summer, but it's dusty when it's dry, and nasty when it's wet. I believe straw is better, and can be burned more easily with less smoke.
Today 32 bales of straw arrived, - it's a man's life to tote straw-bales, they ARE heavy. And it seems I bought waaaay too much... maybe I can raise rabbits too, or horses or elephants..

 

[Dianuzhka]

Thats what I used in spring and summer, but it's dusty when it's dry, and nasty when it's wet. I believe straw is better, and can be burned more easily with less smoke.
Today 32 bales of straw arrived, - it's a man's life to tote straw-bales, they ARE heavy. And it seems I bought waaaay too much... maybe I can raise rabbits too, or horses or elephants..