How to keep ducklings pen clean?

[obsessed]

My ducklings are dirty. They make a mess of their brooder beyond belief. How often should I change them or how can I keep them clean. They are in with some chicks I got. Will the wet bother the chicks?

 

[BackSwampGirl]

I want to tell you that they need cleaning almost everyday.Being you got chicks in with them,it needs to be very dry as much as possible.Because they will be cold.We got some in the house now,and the geese are with the little ducks.There is 2 African Geese,and 3 Black East Indies.So the ducks are a lot smaller than the geese.So I got some shavings.And I had to change it yesterday,and again this morning.It will be this way at least until the cold is gone.Mine is about 2 weeks old.And I got soem outside that are not under the heat lamp,they are just hanging out in the cold and swimming.Plus it is snowing!!!!So that is the difference in the age.They also have heat lamps in here.

 

[Bullwinkle]

Quote:
How many ducks and chicks do you have together?

The chicks need to be kept as dry as possible. I have 16 day old chicks and 12 day old ducklings and geese right now (I had them with the chicks but separated them because of the size of the geese).

I began using the tops/lids of some rubbermaid type storage containers to sit the waterer in. The ducks and geese still splash the water around, but at least now it stays 'in' the lid, and doesn't saturate all of the wood chips.

I still have to change their bedding every day though.

 

[nettie]

i put puppy pads down in the brooder, and cover the top of the pads with pine shavings/wood pellets. I add more shavings on top of the icky parts after a day or two. After a week and a half, i clean out the brooder, the puppy pads make it easier to get all the shavings out.

 

[feathersgalore]

As my ducklings age, I have a wire frame I put over their water. This allows them to put their heads in the water but not their whole bodies. It helps keep the area a little dryer.

 

[streemers]

i just started using horse bedding pellets and love them! my brooder is in the living room and there is very little smell.

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

Quote:
I'd separate the ducklings from the chicks asap, and change the ducklings as needed. Wet/damp quarters and downy feathers is a recipe for disaster, be it chick or duckling. When we had ducklings in the house last spring we were cleaning their area several times a day. Granted their area inside the house was smaller than if they were in big brooder out in the coup, but IMHO it was too cold and they were too young to be out there, even if under lamps.

 

[Wifezilla]

I just made a 2 tub brooder. I took the first tub and cut the bottom out leaving a ledge. I covered the opening with hardware cloth and screwed it down. I covered that with some plastic weave shelf liner. The second tub is where I will put shavings, pellets, cat liter...whatever. Hopefully this will allow most of the mess to fall through in to the bedding in the second tub. I can take out the shelf liner and spray it off as needed.

Now, that is the THEORY! How it works in practice....well, if this duckling would hurry the heck up and hatch I could tell you!

 

[redhen]

hi..this is what we had to do..because their shavings were getting soaked and they were getting chilled.....its just an old roasting pan...and over the pan we have a frame of wood and wire.. all they have to do is just step up on to the wire platform to eat and drink..

it works great..they whole pen is staying dry now..SO much easier to keep clean!

 

[sandspoultry]

The last time we brooded ducklings (AKA little home wreckers) we used a "kiddie" swimming pool and about 4 inches of dry sand on the bottom. The water will soak right thru the sand to the bottom and the top will stay "semi" dry. Also, like the others have said get the chicks out, it's way to wet and damp for them in with the ducks.

Steve in NC