MUSCOVIES: At what age do females go broody? And HOW do I stop them pooping in their beds so much?

[purplesquirrel]

I have some Muscovy ducks, they are 10 weeks old.
I cared for Muscovies when I was travelling in Canada, and there was barely any poop in their nests, mainly just feathers and wood shavings...

But my Muscovies poop so much in their beds at night, within a week the inside of the sleeping quarters is a complete and utter disaster zone!
I've tried giving them their evening feed a bit earlier, so there isn't as much in their system by bed time, but there is grass in their big run so they can chomp on that still.

Is this just because they are young, and later they may develop the habit of emptying their bowels before going to sleep? Or will it always be this messy?

SECONDLY
How long after they begin laying can females go broody?
I am looking forward to incubating some eggs under her and I can't find the answer for this anywhere.

If anyone has any ideas of opinions in these questions, it will be very much appreciated.
Many thanks,
Kate.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have some Muscovy ducks, they are 10 weeks old.
I cared for Muscovies when I was travelling in Canada, and there was barely any poop in their nests, mainly just feathers and wood shavings...

But my Muscovies poop so much in their beds at night, within a week the inside of the sleeping quarters is a complete and utter disaster zone!
I've tried giving them their evening feed a bit earlier, so there isn't as much in their system by bed time, but there is grass in their big run so they can chomp on that still.

Is this just because they are young, and later they may develop the habit of emptying their bowels before going to sleep? Or will it always be this messy?

SECONDLY
How long after they begin laying can females go broody?
I am looking forward to incubating some eggs under her and I can't find the answer for this anywhere.

If anyone has any ideas of opinions in these questions, it will be very much appreciated.
Many thanks,
Kate.

Ducks are poop machines, about the only way i have tackled the messy bedding is to use deep shavings and clean daily by scooping off top layer where poop is and turning the shaving over. If I waited to clean for a week, yep it would be a disaster area. They can't help how much they poop they have no control over that except when those girls go broody they can go days with out pooping in their nests. Hard to say how long after they start laying before they go broody it all depends on the duck some will go broody right away others wait, no way to figure that out. But this time of year all of mine have stopped laying for the season and won't start back till next year.

 

[needlessjunk]

Ducks poop, a lot. I only have 2 and clean up their house everyday. I could go longer but I don't need to so I keep it clean to keep them healthy and to keep my neighbors happy so they don't smell anything. I did notice a reduction of poop when I took the food away at night but that was it. There really isn't any way to get them to poop less. As for broody... I'm no help since I don't have any experience except each duck is an individual and it is up to them.

 

[purplesquirrel]

Thanks guys, I guess I'll just have to keep scoopin the poopin haha, at least with chickens it falls through the bars they perch on and dries out!
Selling one of my boys today so will just have 1 boy and 1 girl to contend with.
Need to find somewhere to buy bulk amounts of shavings too, my pet shop down the road is a rip off!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks guys, I guess I'll just have to keep scoopin the poopin haha, at least with chickens it falls through the bars they perch on and dries out!
Selling one of my boys today so will just have 1 boy and 1 girl to contend with.
Need to find somewhere to buy bulk amounts of shavings too, my pet shop down the road is a rip off!

LOL Yeah that stinks when they price gouge things we need for our flocks. If you have a mill around you they may sell cheaper. I buy from the feed store and it's not too bad. But I house 32 mixed chickens/ducks and geese Having 1 boy and 1 girls shouldn't be too bad. of scoopin the poopin

 

[andreacroyle]

you could try changing their food I noticed that when I switched to Mazuri the poop wasn't as bad. I don't use shavings. I have them on the dirt and I have landscape stones in there that I rinse off with water everyday, actually 2 times a day. my money goes towards water instead of shaving I guess. look up deep litter it seems to be the best for chickens. I don't know how it works with a ducks because they're so wet. I have read a lot of posts where people use construction sand and scoop it out every day. there is a chance that they will eat it and become impacted but a lot of people seem to use it with success. I have one duck that has decided to lay an egg everyday she is 6 months old she isn't broody she ignores the egg.

 

[Kleonaptra]

I use straw or my leftover hay shavings. I have 9 in the shed about to become 12. I finally worked out a system - I had to get them off the floor because it floods when it rains - so I have a bunch of pallets. On top of the pallets I put horse feed bags. I put bricks down to hold the bags down, then shake my bedding over the top. The girls build nests between the bricks, and if anything gets very muddy or poopy, I can change the bag without cleaning out the whole shed. Every other day I hose and rake out the concrete area at the front, where they seem to do most of their pooping. They get big water dishes, but no food in the shed at night as it attracts rats. The whole place gets a clean out about once a month, but since I got this system worked out they seem to go to the floor to poop and back up on the pallets to nest.

When I noticed my chooks perching uncomfortably on top of the partition that seperates the nesting areas, I built them a set of shelves. What do they do? Disdain my shelves and continue to roost uncomfortably on top the partition!

I dont know what age scovies go broody - none of my girls, despite breed, ever went broody their first season, at least not properly. My scovy is broody right now and she holds her poop all day and when she comes out for a wander she drops a mother load at the door!