How to stay clean and odorless?

[sukochickens]

I'm really wanting to get 2 ducks as pets but, not having any before, I was wondering how everyone keeps their enclosure clean and the smell to a minimum. We're going to build a small shelter in an area in our backyard and section it off. The area we want to build is mostly dirt. With 2 ducks should the dirt be ok or will I need to add a layer of something? If I need to add, how do I keep that clean? We're going to make a little swimming area for them outside of the enclosure so we don't have to worry about the water from that getting everywhere. Any advice on how you keep their space clean and smell controlled I would really appreciate it!

 

[sukochickens]

Anybody?

 

[buff goose guy]

if you really want no smell you'd have to like clean up the coop every 10 minutes or so( so you can really stop mess )

ducks are messy animals, and also need acess to water they can bath in 24/7 so that they dont begin to stink. another thing is that the ground is going to turn to mud either from their poop ,or them splashing water everywhere ( yes even if water is in a tube or bucket the will do there best to splash water out. )

ducks are more meesy than most poultry and that just comes with them, the best advice i can tell u is :

be sure they have a big enough enclosure if its too small they basicly poop on all the ground and have to live in it pretty much
you need a large space becuase that way even though ducks are messy there wont be such a pile up of waste. and there are still clean areas that are dry

 

[sukochickens]

Thanks! How much space do you think they would need roughly? We have a 1/4 of an acre fenced in that I planned to let them free range throughout the day. That way they would have access to the swimming area most of the time. The sectioned off portion would be for when we're not home and at night. Most of the 1/4 acre has grass. It just so happens that the ideal place for the coop (the only partially shaded area) is dirt. The dirt is also very sandy. We live near brackish water and the dirt in our yard is probably 75% sand. I've read that a lot of people use sand for their enclosure. I could buy some bags of sand. I think it's relatively inexpensive right? But I don't know what the cleaning of that entails. Do you just hose it down? Or scoop and add more? I really appreciate your help!

 

[sukochickens]

I'm hoping to get 2 welsh harlequins if that helps. So I don't think they would need quite as much space,as say Pekins, since they're like half the size am I right?

 

[buff goose guy]

i used sand once but it just made everything more messy , i had to dig down my enclosures 3 feet to clean them out then buy dirt and sod for grass to grow back.

but some people have great experience with sand so its best to find out for yourself.

1/4 of an acre should be plenty for 2 ducks.

 

[sukochickens]

Thank you! I guess I'll just have to learn by trial and error. Lol!

 

[buff goose guy]

i do recommend get Storey's guide to raising ducks book its great for beginners

 

[sukochickens]

I've been looking for it but haven't been able to find it. I guess I'll have to order it online. Thanks!

 

[LadyIsadora]

I have two Pekin living in a large dog run with dirt and a bit of grass under their feet. I like their pen clean and I wanted it a bit more comfy for them so I went and got a couple of bales of straw I scatter a couple of inches or so deep around their pen. Every morning when I go out to feed them, I let them out into the yard then I grab the salad tongs (dedicated for this purpose) and a garbage bag, and pick up their poops. Then I grab the garden fork & toss the straw so it can air out. It only takes a couple of minutes and the straw helps absorb the moisture and make picking up easier. You can empty the bag into the compost pile or till into the garden.

I also add ACV to their water and feed them fermented feed along with their dry. (there is a thread about FF on this forum & its a MONSTER thread) The feed helps their bodies utilize the nutrients in their food better and there is less stinky poop. The consistency seems to be better too, a bit firmer. Im sure if I stopped with the dry food completely it would improve that much more.
I have 12 ducklings in the brooder. I do not know what the heck I was thinking. I dont know how Im going to keep it clean till the drakes are ready for freezer camp, when all are outside making messes.

I do have a pond for them to play and clean themselves. They do not have access to it all of the time. They get to go swimming at least once a day, Other than that they have a waterer in their pen that is deep enough to get their nares dunked, and there are several pans of water around the yard, big enough for them to hop in if they want. They dont have to have a pond or a pool, just something deep enough to clean their heads & always while eating. Of course they freakin LOVE ponds & pools. Sometimes its hard to get them off of it.

In short two ducks are not too hard or time consuming to manage. Trial & error, do what works for you. I hope this helps in some way.