messy messy??????????????

[Miss Lydia]

I wish some runners for you soon Today I made a new lake for my runners (this time lined with plastic, the mud I spaded out was slimey and doughy), and later - when they enjoyed the swim - I just quacked out from the house, just enough loud that they can hear me, in kind of a "whats up?" tone. And Riesling (a mallard+runner duck I raised from day 2) greeted back loudly with a happy quack-quaaaaaack! Really, they talk! A heartwarming adventure to have ducks.

I bet they had fun. Nothing cuter than ducks enjoying the water.

 

[sherrybintally]

I started with gravel and it did NOT NOT NOT work. I would spray it off and the yucky water eventually stopped being absorbed into the ground. My space wasn't sloped, so maybe that would have helped. I tried pine straw over it... also did not work well. I now use actual straw (not hay) and it works much better (more absorbent). I used the "deep pile" method (google it) and a few times a year I rake most of it out and it goes to the compost pile or to the garden. I also spray every day with Odoban I buy at Home Depot. I like the pine fragrance better than the citrus.

 

[sherrybintally]

Hilarious and sooo true. Do your ducks lay in nest boxes? Do you have incredibly dirty eggs and if so, do you have any tricks for keeping them as clean as possible?

 

[blondiebee181]

Hilarious and sooo true. Do your ducks lay in nest boxes? Do you have incredibly dirty eggs and if so, do you have any tricks for keeping them as clean as possible?

Yeah that's a good question...my little girls won't lay for a while but I'm sure Miss Lydia has a good answer! I'd like to know too as I have no duck nest boxes...I was just assuming they'd lay in their dog house. I hear ducks are more spontaneous about where they lay than chickens though...

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yeah that's a good question...my little girls won't lay for a while but I'm sure Miss Lydia has a good answer! I'd like to know too as I have no duck nest boxes...I was just assuming they'd lay in their dog house. I hear ducks are more spontaneous about where they lay than chickens though...

Well I get dirty eggs too. Just think it's a duck thing. lol I bring them in and wash under water with a srubby thats gentle. I have 3 that use the chickens nest boxes the rest lay in the shaving in their stalls, which is deep litter so I have an egg hunt everyday. When they first start to lay they will pretty much lay where ever they feel the urge then they start looking for better places because the urge to brood starts taking affect. Put you nest boxes in a quiet out of the way part of your duck house and they will find it eventually

 

[aoxa]

Well I get dirty eggs too. Just think it's a duck thing. lol I bring them in and wash under water with a srubby thats gentle. I have 3 that use the chickens nest boxes the rest lay in the shaving in their stalls, which is deep litter so I have an egg hunt everyday. When they first start to lay they will pretty much lay where ever they feel the urge then they start looking for better places because the urge to brood starts taking affect. Put you nest boxes in a quiet out of the way part of your duck house and they will find it eventually

Unless they see you taking their eggs, because I swear, Macy saw me and found a better hiding place. Had to remove another 15 duds last night. Second attempt to brood. No drakes in sight, and no fertile eggs available in my area (I put out ads and everything!) On a side note, I added 12 call ducks at 4 weeks old to my existing chicken/duck/goose/turkey flock 2 weeks ago. They are doing very well, and did from the start. They sure are ballsy little things!

Hanging out with my 8 month old Khaki Campbell girl.

Cute but messy demons that smell like farts if you have water inside the coop. I free range. I have grounded them from water between the hours of 9pm and 6:30 am. As soon as I let them out, they run for the kiddie pool. I change their pool water every day or every other day. I almost throw up if I wait much longer. They spend almost the entire day in there.

 

[blondiebee181]

Unless they see you taking their eggs, because I swear, Macy saw me and found a better hiding place. Had to remove another 15 duds last night. Second attempt to brood. No drakes in sight, and no fertile eggs available in my area (I put out ads and everything!)
On a side note, I added 12 call ducks at 4 weeks old to my existing chicken/duck/goose/turkey flock 2 weeks ago. They are doing very well, and did from the start. They sure are ballsy little things!

Hanging out with my 8 month old Khaki Campbell girl.

Cute but messy demons that smell like farts if you have water inside the coop. I free range. I have grounded them from water between the hours of 9pm and 6:30 am. As soon as I let them out, they run for the kiddie pool.
I change their pool water every day or every other day. I almost throw up if I wait much longer. They spend almost the entire day in there.

Hehe, sounds like you should try some lavender in the duck coop. I cut my lavender back the other day and decided to bed the duck house with it, it's soooooo nice and great-smelling. The girls smell like lavender

 

[aoxa]

Hehe, sounds like you should try some lavender in the duck coop. I cut my lavender back the other day and decided to bed the duck house with it, it's soooooo nice and great-smelling. The girls smell like lavender

That's a fabulous idea! Where would I get that much lavender though?!

 

[Miss Lydia]

That's a fabulous idea! Where would I get that much lavender though?!

I'd sure need alot, but I do put those air fresheners in my duck house the kind you plug in, and I use vanilla to help keep out the flies and it works and smells good too.

 

[aoxa]

I'd sure need alot, but I do put those air fresheners in my duck house the kind you plug in, and I use vanilla to help keep out the flies and it works and smells good too. 

Feel a bit dumb.. Never thought of those ideas..

The smells only get bad when they make a mess of their food/water. The poop smell I can handle.. You know the smell of wet feed that has been pooped in right? It's a sweet disgusting smell. That's why I prevent any water and food after bedtime. They won't starve before I let them out in the AM.

Oh and thought I would add that I am in love with my turkeys. They clean up any dry spilled food the ducks tip over.