New to raising baby ducks...brooder question!

[twinkletoes68]

Hi! We just purchased 6 baby ducks...they are almost two weeks old. My question is...can we use potty pads instead of pine shavings until they are ready to go outside? They are adorable but MESSY! Within just a few minutes the shavings are soaked. I've also heard to use old towels as well. Please help this new mama with her messy babies...LOL!

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC! Some people use puppy pads, some people tried using them but their ducklings ate them, and some people, myself included, use towels. Try the pads and see how they work.

 

[chickens really]

Containers like these work best.
Definitely pine shavings are best because they can eat the wet piddling pads.

 

[Loopeend]

I tried a lot but eventually just stick with straw. Everything else was either poisonous, demolishable, or too dusty leading to a lot of sneezing. Or they ate it. Or too expensive.
and especially the last weeks... close my nose a lot That age where they are outgrowing their brooder.
Towels worked; but I found out I did not actually washed them eventually and just throw them away, and I don't feel like throwing so much towels away every year.
I guess it is a bit personal what works best for you.
I'm not a big cleaner; so I needed an easy system. Spare cage for ducks while changing the straw next to it, big bin for dirty straw right next to it, fresh bale of straw álso right next to it, everything as easy as possible.
Also changing the water system helped a LOT! Since the most dirtyness comes from their water-party's. The water-system is now a baby-chicken water-system that fit's their tiny beaks better, and is now on a seperate elevated plastic plate so all the water will reach the straw less. Because the smell mostly comes from when their poo in straw gets wet. Poo in dry straw is more easy to remove.
I also saw someone getting creative over here, but I can't find the post anymore, that made the water/feeding area and the straw/bedding-area only connected to each other with a gate, a system with two brooders connected, so you don't have to change the whole cage every time after a water-party. The wet-area did not have bedding; so it was more easy to clean with a simple wipe.

 

[casportpony]

Towels worked; but I found out I did not actually washed them eventually and just throw them away, and I don't feel like throwing so much towels away every year.

I purchased a bunch of $3 Wal-Mart towels. When one gets dirty, into a soaking bin it goes to get the poop and feed off, then they get washed.

 

[quackiemama]

I purchased a bunch of $3 Wal-Mart towels. When one gets dirty, into a soaking bin it goes to get the food and feed off, then they get washed.

I did the same thing and will be doing it again. Just watching for loose strings

 

[casportpony]

I did the same thing and will be doing it again. Just watching for loose strings

Good point! Yes, do watch for loose strings!

 

[Cayuga momma]

I usually stop using puppy pads by two weeks. Their bills are strong enough to open them up at that point. Better water containers is your best bet as @chickens really suggests.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens and Ducks

 

[Loopeend]

I purchased a bunch of $3 Wal-Mart towels. When one gets dirty, into a soaking bin it goes to get the food and feed off, then they get washed.

That was my plan too, but it turned out to not work for me because idk, just forgetting them, finding them 3 months later in the garden somewhere, not even remembering how they end up there. and just throwing them out eventually. I must say that due to rebuilding our home we don't even have a proper cloth-washing system for ourselves haha! But due to our house being such an old mess being demolished anyway; a bit of straw on the floor is no problem. I can immagine that if you are in a situation where straw on the floor is not wanted, and you might not have a 'dirty room'/shed; towels will work better. It is a really clean non-messy system, if you actually clean them.
It depends a bit on how you live and what works for you. But there is often only one way to find out!