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
