Moving out, moving in.

[MammaAtTheAvenue]

Hi. So the dreaded 8 weeks old is approaching and the move outside that is instigated by it. So PLEASE help me. 6 ducks. 3boys, 3girls are going to live in our wash house. Brick shed built in the 50s with original roof, concrete floor. My husband has secured any gaps against rodents. Nothing else should have been able to fit anyway.
My questions are : HOW DO I FIT IT OUT?
and WHAT SHOULD MY DAILY, WEEKLY, MONTHLY ROUTINE BE?
Please feel free to write as though you are author of Dummies guide to being a Mamma Duck (but please don't be rude or unkind). I hope someone has the time to help me out xxx

If it helps for anything affected by season I am in NE England xxx

 

[Miss Lydia]

I use pine shaving as bedding I go in 1X a day and clean up all wet poop fluff up the bedding and add as needed. I do keep deep bedding in their coop. No food and water inside to keep the mess down. If you are going to have bedding inside which I am sure you are. You will want to put something across the bottom of the doorway to keep the bedding inside their house. I just used a spare piece of lumber we had.

 

[_-Captain BRM-_]

Pine shavings work best for bedding, wood stove pellets might as well but you can't have a heat lamp out there for sure then if you use them... Also wood stove pellets are cheaper and work great for horses too.

I do not keep water in my coop as the ducks will splash of EVERYWHERE. Honestly, unless it's really dry, I let them get their own water, otherwise it's such a job. There are many puddles that run through the fields around us and since no one has sprayed their chemicals yet, they are safe to drink and play in them.

As for feed, I leave a big bowl of feed OUTSIDE the coop for them. They know where it is, but if course are excited to start the day off with raiding the driveway for worms. All my birds free range to cut back on feed expenses, makes them happier, they get loads of protein, and they are just so happy XD

As for routine? I just let them out every morning, lock em up at night. If they need food or water, which is far away from the coop, otherwise it spills and molds and there's more to clean up, I fill it for them. Simple. Every monthish I clean the coop and sometimes I open up all the doors as my ventilation is terrible and I'll be rebuilding this year. Good luck with the ducks! Any other questions?

 

[MammaAtTheAvenue]

I use pine shaving as bedding I go in 1X a day and clean up all wet poop fluff up the bedding and add as needed. I do keep deep bedding in their coop. No food and water inside to keep the mess down. If you are going to have bedding inside which I am sure you are. You will want to put something across the bottom of the doorway to keep the bedding inside their house. I just used a spare piece of lumber we had.

Thank you for your reply. Could you explain deep bedding please and is coop referring to the entire shed or a smaller bedding area? We have a dog house that we were going to put inside that we thought would be more cosy and comfortable but we are keeping plans open, waiting to receive replies xxx

 

[ruthhope]

Thank you for your reply. Could you explain deep bedding please and is coop referring to the entire shed or a smaller bedding area? We have a dog house that we were going to put inside that we thought would be more cosy and comfortable but we are keeping plans open, waiting to receive replies xxx

Hi MammaAtTheAvenue, I note that you are in NE England and thus while your weather is getting warmer now, there is likely always a biting NE wind and it will be cold with snow and ice in the winter. I am guessing that your wash house has a concrete or red tile floor. [OK edit: You did state your floor is concrete!]

In the USA, many of us buy pine shavings [ flakes of pine wood] -- produced as a by-product of the forestry-agricultural industry and lumbar businesses. Frankly, I don't know if pine shavings are readily available in England. They are ideal as they don't harm the ducks and they are absorbent. I would not use sawdust as the dust can cause respiratory problems, although it is absorbent. [I was actually given a sack full by a local woodworking enthusiast, but I quietly used it in my compost not my duck house!!] Another floor cover/bedding would be straw. Again, in the USA, bales of straw are readily available and where I live, long pine needles -- known as pine straw--is available in bales. It is best to not use hay as hay also gets dusty and is prone to having mould spores in it, that can infect ducks lungs.

For your duck house [your wash house] put down a good layer of floor covering. As @MissLydia mentioned, you can reduce mess in your duck house by not having food and water available -- you cannot offer food and not have water available, by the way.

Your daily routine will then be to scoop out any big poopy messes, fluff up the flooring and add a little more as necessary. Deep layering means that you allow a deep layer of the bedding to build up by adding fresh on top. When the weather gets colder, having a 6 inch or more deep layer of compressed [and actually composting] bedding under the fresh bedding helps keep the ducks warm. Let it build up over the winter and dig it out around this time of year. It makes good garden compost and if you put it in a compost heap, the composting will be finished over the summer, and you will be able to dig it out onto your garden by October. Mentioning October and thus your autumn, if you get any clean dry tree leaves, they can be added to the deep layer bedding, too.

In the winter, your ducks will need bales of straw putting inside your wash house round the walls to give extra insulation from the cold. Your ducks will snuggle up against the bales if there are any drafts getting in round the door or window. They will also likely enjoy climbing on the bales and playing king of the castle!! I don't think that you need the doghouse. Just bales of straw in the cold weather.

Are your ducks going to come outside the duck house/wash house during the day?

Also, your sex balance is off and once your ducks get to adolescence you will very likely run into trouble with the drakes fighting over the females and the females getting over mated. I think you should be looking to rehome two of your drakes as soon as possible and not wait until they start giving you and each other problems.

Please let us know what bedding you have available in NE England. And do share some photos of your ducklings!!! We are all gaga for little fluffies on this forum

 

[MammaAtTheAvenue]

Thank you for your comprehensive response. Yes to concrete floor. We are currently using pine shavings while they are in the house and am hoping that straw will be possible, I have a number to ring.

How often should I clean during the summer? I don't want it to be smelly. We are in direct proximity to our neighbours. We live in a 'neighbourhood'. Not sure how many bales we could fit in and still have room for the ducks.

They are out in the greenhouse, when it's warm enough, until their outdoor enclosure is done. Then they will be in there. When flockdown is over they will be out in the garden or at the allotment.

Should I close access to the wash house during the day?

I know the sex ratio isn't great but we will have to try and make it work somehow. We couldn't possibly rehome 2 of them. I know we shouldn't have favourites but you know ..... However we are very open to getting more girls, infact we know we have to, but don't think we could get enough for 3 plus each.

I hope I've responded to everything. Thank you xxx

 

[ruthhope]

Thank you for your comprehensive response. Yes to concrete floor. We are currently using pine shavings while they are in the house and am hoping that straw will be possible, I have a number to ring.

How often should I clean during the summer? I don't want it to be smelly. We are in direct proximity to our neighbours. We live in a 'neighbourhood'. Not sure how many bales we could fit in and still have room for the ducks.

They are out in the greenhouse, when it's warm enough, until their outdoor enclosure is done. Then they will be in there. When flockdown is over they will be out in the garden or at the allotment.

Should I close access to the wash house during the day?

I know the sex ratio isn't great but we will have to try and make it work somehow. We couldn't possibly rehome 2 of them. I know we shouldn't have favourites but you know ..... However we are very open to getting more girls, infact we know we have to, but don't think we could get enough for 3 plus each.

I hope I've responded to everything. Thank you xxx

I also live in an suburban neighbourhood and my ducks are under the radar as we are not permitted to keep ducks in the neighbourhood. My duck house is right by my house -- 8 feet from my side wall and only 2 feet from the boundary with my neighbour. My neighbours are all great, fortunately. I don't know about smelliness [I have serious sinus issues] but I assume my coop is not smelly as my neighbour, family, and visitors haven't complained. But I don't skimp on the deep layer bedding. As it happens, I have a big supply of leaves stored and I put in a good layer of leaves maybe everyone to 2 weeks and then pine shavings on the top. That effectively stops rising smell and damp from below.

Please share photos of your ducklings!

 

[ruthhope]

@MammaAtTheAvenue
"I know the sex ratio isn't great but we will have to try and make it work somehow. We couldn't possibly rehome 2 of them. I know we shouldn't have favourites but you know ..... However we are very open to getting more girls, infact we know we have to, but don't think we could get enough for 3 plus each."

I know from personal experience, it is heartbreaking to have to rehome a beloved duck, because of aggressive behaviour in ducks that previously lived happily together and snuggled up together as little fluffies. However, you are planning to alleviate your sex ratio, don't wait until you have problems. Start addressing the issue sooner rather than later.

 

[MammaAtTheAvenue]

Pine shavings work best for bedding, wood stove pellets might as well but you can't have a heat lamp out there for sure then if you use them... Also wood stove pellets are cheaper and work great for horses too.

I do not keep water in my coop as the ducks will splash of EVERYWHERE. Honestly, unless it's really dry, I let them get their own water, otherwise it's such a job. There are many puddles that run through the fields around us and since no one has sprayed their chemicals yet, they are safe to drink and play in them.

As for feed, I leave a big bowl of feed OUTSIDE the coop for them. They know where it is, but if course are excited to start the day off with raiding the driveway for worms. All my birds free range to cut back on feed expenses, makes them happier, they get loads of protein, and they are just so happy XD

As for routine? I just let them out every morning, lock em up at night. If they need food or water, which is far away from the coop, otherwise it spills and molds and there's more to clean up, I fill it for them. Simple. Every monthish I clean the coop and sometimes I open up all the doors as my ventilation is terrible and I'll be rebuilding this year. Good luck with the ducks! Any other questions?

Thank you xxx

 

[MammaAtTheAvenue]

I also live in an suburban neighbourhood and my ducks are under the radar as we are not permitted to keep ducks in the neighbourhood. My duck house is right by my house -- 8 feet from my side wall and only 2 feet from the boundary with my neighbour. My neighbours are all great, fortunately. I don't know about smelliness [I have serious sinus issues] but I assume my coop is not smelly as my neighbour, family, and visitors haven't complained. But I don't skimp on the deep layer bedding. As it happens, I have a big supply of leaves stored and I put in a good layer of leaves maybe everyone to 2 weeks and then pine shavings on the top. That effectively stops rising smell and damp from below.

Please share photos of your ducklings!

@MammaAtTheAvenue
"I know the sex ratio isn't great but we will have to try and make it work somehow. We couldn't possibly rehome 2 of them. I know we shouldn't have favourites but you know ..... However we are very open to getting more girls, infact we know we have to, but don't think we could get enough for 3 plus each."

I know from personal experience, it is heartbreaking to have to rehome a beloved duck, because of aggressive behaviour in ducks that previously lived happily together and snuggled up together as little fluffies. However, you are planning to alleviate your sex ratio, don't wait until you have problems. Start addressing the issue sooner rather than later.

I've contact someone to enquiry about buying 6 female runner ducks xxx