Messy Duck House/Run

[igorsMistress]

Love your profile pic.

Thank you!

 

[HeatherKellyB]

@WVduckchick
@shawluvsbirds
@BirdsBeesTrees
@Overo Mare
@Miss Lydia
@FunnyfarmMidwest
Any advice?

 

[Painted Calls]

@WVduckchick
@shawluvsbirds
@BirdsBeesTrees
@Overo Mare
@Miss Lydia
Any advice?

I use deep pine chips in the house. Run is a mix of fallen leaves and old pine chips from cleaning out the house.

Can you post pics of your setup, OP? That may help with suggestions.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

The pine pellets are 5.99 a bag. I can get a decent life span out of them so long as they don’t get soaked.

I usually get about a month out of it with it being turned over regularly by the chickens (they like playing in it). Then I usually take out half the pine pellets add in two new bags stir it up and we are usually good for another month. I empty it out completely every 4 months or so unless it gets wet which has happened during wind storms.
Winter time I am adding shaving large flakes for more warmth.

I tried that about a year ago and had no luck. It was still very messy. Since then after finding myself stuck in the big duck house during a downpour I discovered a leak that was obviously the root of the problem and I fixed it. I forgot about this so now I'm anxious to try this again asap. Thank you so much for such a wonderful idea. The pellets also have a really nice odor that's not overpowering.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I use rough cut mulch, like the kind you can get from a tree cutting service. It is the best bedding I have used so far.

I tried that and 2 of my ducks kept getting bumblefoot no matter how much I cleaned. It doesn't hurt their feet? How often did you change it? I loved how it smelled, and you can't beat the price!

 

[Aunt Angus]

I tried that about a year ago and had no luck. It was still very messy. Since then after finding myself stuck in the big duck house during a downpour I discovered a leak that was obviously the root of the problem and I fixed it. I forgot about this so now I'm anxious to try this again asap. Thank you so much for such a wonderful idea. The pellets also have a really nice odor that's not overpowering.

I use these for the pool area of the run and for my goat house, too. But I actually break it down first. I set the bag on the ground, use a box knife to slice the bag down the center, and pour in about 2.5 gallons. The stuff breaks down into chunky sawdust. I absolutely love it. I still use pine shavings everywhere else because the chickens prefer it.

My goat house is amazingly clean now. And to change out the bedding entirely takes 15 minutes (I timed myself once).

 

[Aunt Angus]

Cleanest bedding I have found are the horse pine pellets. I put down 4 bags in my 8x9 house and wait until it starts to turn to dust. Now that it’s growing cold I added pine shavings to it. I will keep adding to it until spring as my chickens turn the bedding over for me.

THIS.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Outside I use the mulch in bags. Right now most of my ducks are in a building with a concrete floor, I just put some hay and pine shavings in the corners where they like to lay down.
I have a lot of ducks and they are messy little piggies, the more you have the more of a mess they make!

 

[Isadora]

I tried that and 2 of my ducks kept getting bumblefoot no matter how much I cleaned. It doesn't hurt their feet? How often did you change it? I loved how it smelled, and you can't beat the price!

I had one duck get bumblefoot, but that's it so far. I don't actually change it per se. We have a movable duck house, so the floor is dirt. Usually I will scrape off the top layer with a shovel, and spread new stuff down. Whatever's on the very bottom is already degrading into the soil.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

I had one duck get bumblefoot, but that's it so far. I don't actually change it per se. We have a movable duck house, so the floor is dirt. Usually I will scrape off the top layer with a shovel, and spread new stuff down. Whatever's on the very bottom is already degrading into the soil.

What is a movable duck house? Do you have pics?