Figured it out! Finally! After soaked bedding, soaked towels, soaked everything, requiring a LOT of cleaning, 3-4 times a day for the brooder.
Ok, tried a kitten sized litter pan and put the water in there. It held the water, they'd build up the level on the bottom, sit in it, play in it, and track it everywhere. When I was using pine shavings, those were in there too. Kept the pan, replaced the pine shavings with old towels.
Still had a water issue. Set the water directly onto a thickly folded towel to prevent swimming. Had to add fresh water every hour it felt like, because it would go empty.
I've been having the same issue out in the coop with the oldest 3. Water every where! Stacked it up on bricks, helped a little. Set it in a pan, helped a little. Set the pan on the bricks, so that it was elevated AND could catch water. Still a lot of bedding waste from water.
Went to Lowes yesterday for a new vacuum cleaner after I finally killed mine, and started walking around the storage tote aisle. There had to be something better than a pan.
Found it! For big ducks, there is a black plastic storage "tray", BUT it has a low front that slopes towards the bottom. Easy access. High sides, water containment! Perfect size to set a 1 gallon water in the front of it where the ducklings can reach the lip and drink easily. But there is not enough room to climb in if you place the water container up front. It's long and skinny, so it has a ton of room for collection without flooding if you're late getting out there. It's... perfect. The bedding around it when I went and checked it after several hours was the dry-est I have ever seen it. $7 for the new and improved tray.
The pan I was using, I set under their feeder to catch food. The food was dry! yay!
But the babies, still needed a solution for them. Didn't see it in the storage tote section. But I found it in the paint section! It's the painting tray you use for rollers! Gently sloped down into a flat bottom with just enough room for a chick sized waterer! $2! The problem, it was slick and didn't provide traction. Easy fix, get a roll of the thick and squishy, and textured, shelf liner. Also in the storage tote aisle. Cut a piece to fit the "walk-way", set the waterer in the flat bottom, and for little ducklings, roll up a towel to the front of it to give them access. My 2 week olds can drink while standing outside of it. The 5 day old can get in and walk down to it.
The result after several hours, the brooder was still a poopy mess needing cleaned, but the bedding and food area was dry and the smell wasn't near as awful. The sides are just high enough to catch the water when they zoom their beaks through it. Since it's plastic, and the walkway traction is plastic, it's all cleaned up easy.
Ok, tried a kitten sized litter pan and put the water in there. It held the water, they'd build up the level on the bottom, sit in it, play in it, and track it everywhere. When I was using pine shavings, those were in there too. Kept the pan, replaced the pine shavings with old towels.
Still had a water issue. Set the water directly onto a thickly folded towel to prevent swimming. Had to add fresh water every hour it felt like, because it would go empty.
I've been having the same issue out in the coop with the oldest 3. Water every where! Stacked it up on bricks, helped a little. Set it in a pan, helped a little. Set the pan on the bricks, so that it was elevated AND could catch water. Still a lot of bedding waste from water.
Went to Lowes yesterday for a new vacuum cleaner after I finally killed mine, and started walking around the storage tote aisle. There had to be something better than a pan.
Found it! For big ducks, there is a black plastic storage "tray", BUT it has a low front that slopes towards the bottom. Easy access. High sides, water containment! Perfect size to set a 1 gallon water in the front of it where the ducklings can reach the lip and drink easily. But there is not enough room to climb in if you place the water container up front. It's long and skinny, so it has a ton of room for collection without flooding if you're late getting out there. It's... perfect. The bedding around it when I went and checked it after several hours was the dry-est I have ever seen it. $7 for the new and improved tray.
The pan I was using, I set under their feeder to catch food. The food was dry! yay!
But the babies, still needed a solution for them. Didn't see it in the storage tote section. But I found it in the paint section! It's the painting tray you use for rollers! Gently sloped down into a flat bottom with just enough room for a chick sized waterer! $2! The problem, it was slick and didn't provide traction. Easy fix, get a roll of the thick and squishy, and textured, shelf liner. Also in the storage tote aisle. Cut a piece to fit the "walk-way", set the waterer in the flat bottom, and for little ducklings, roll up a towel to the front of it to give them access. My 2 week olds can drink while standing outside of it. The 5 day old can get in and walk down to it.
The result after several hours, the brooder was still a poopy mess needing cleaned, but the bedding and food area was dry and the smell wasn't near as awful. The sides are just high enough to catch the water when they zoom their beaks through it. Since it's plastic, and the walkway traction is plastic, it's all cleaned up easy.
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