messy duckling mayhame

[baby_chicks_keene]

I have 6 pecking duckling they are 9 days old. I had them in with my chicks who are the same age. The bedding was disgusting all the time. I had to change it every couple of hours cuz the bedding was completely soaked. So I put the ducks in a different box ( a split x - large dog cage). And the bedding for the ducks is still soaked consistent I have to change their bedding every time I give them new water about 4 times a day. The chicks bedding is fine. Is their a special bedding I need to buy just for the duckling? Because I have been using wood shavings. Is there a secret to keeping it dry? Because I have to dry the birds every time.



Chicks in the adirondacks

 

[countryangel3182]

This was my 1st time with ducklings this spring and know matter what I did they where soaked. I also had them in with chicks. What a mess. I think it's just how they are but I hope someone as some help for you. They are older now so they are outside finally.

 

[bunnibird55]

Welcome to ducks! Haha - I finally put their brooder at a bit of a slant with their waterer down at the lower end and kept putting aspen shavings up at the high end. Still had to change the shavings every day, but the babies stayed drier! Good luck!

 

[Amiga]

What kind of waterer are you using? An open bowl will be really wet.

In any case, I had good success with putting waterers on a splash catcher. This can be a two piece broiler pan (emptied a few times a day) covered with a towel (that is changed once or twice a day), it can be a shallow bucket emptied a few times a day, it can be the bottom half of a solid plastic dog crate with sawdust pellets on the bottom that needs to be refreshed once a day. That last one is the best, because the ducks can walk into and out of it, splash to their hearts content, and do no more than dampen the bedding right around the doorway.

The ducks need something to dip their whole heads into to prevent dangerous eye and sinus infections - that can also be kept on the splash catcher, or have its own.

Ducks are ducks, after all.

 

[baby_chicks_keene]

I use a chick waterer its a quart with a small metal tray on bottom. I have been lettin them splash around in a small warm bowel of water. They seem to love that. I let them splash while I clean their cage. I will try your ideas. Thank you for all theadvice



Chicks in the adirondacks

 

[ksmith]

I had my ducklings water in the small quart sized waterers, and it was a MESS! I would have to fill them every 2 hours. But I changes their waterer to one like this, and it is so much neater! Hardley any water spills out, and it works great! Here is what it looks like:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51q8VQZZ8KL._SL160_.jpg

It is called a double wall fount.

 

[HeatherLynn]

When cleaning out the last batch of ducks and geese I found it easiest to put them in the tub with a bit of water for a nice hour long swim while I cleaned their cage each day. After that much swimming they kept their cage pretty dry. I waited till they were a couple weeks and did not make it so deep they could drown. Just enough where they could splash, play, and clean themselves. Once they got older I made it a bit deeper and they actually swam in the tub while I cleaned. They smelled better and so did their cage since I then had time to splash some bleach in and scrub and rinse it really well. By the time they were worn out it had dry bedding and fresh food waiting.