Okay, I give in

[SkyeT]

We use washable puppy pads (hosed down and hung to dry between rotations) and pine horse shavings.

 

[corriemartin]

Wait till they are three weeks old, it will make two weeks seem like nothing.

Wait--they're going to get WORSE?!?!?

 

[Isaac 0]

Wait--they're going to get WORSE?!?!?

Yep!

Feed consumption, water consumption, and manure output of Pekin ducklings - per duck basis, mixed sexes​
​	Feed Consumption​	Water Consumption *​	Weekly Manure Output​
Age Weeks​	Live Weight Pounds​	Weekly Pounds​	Cumulative Pounds​	Weekly Gallons​	Average Daily Gallons​	Wet Basis Pounds​	Dry Basis Pounds​
1​	0.6​	.50​	.50​	.41​	.06​	0.9​	.11​
2​	1.7​	1.65​	2.15​	1.11​	.16​	3.0​	.36​
3​	3.0​	2.55​	4.70​	1.22​	.17​	4.7​	.56​
4​	4.0​	2.55​	7.25​	1.26​	.18​	4.7​	.56​
5​	5.1​	3.25​	10.50​	1.57​	.22​	6.0​	.72​
6​	6.2​	3.60​	14.10​	2.22​	.32​	6.6​	.79​
7​	7.0​	3.90​	18.00​	2.77​	.40​	7.2​	.86​

 

[corriemartin]

Yep!

Age Weeks​	Live Weight Pounds​	Weekly Pounds​	Cumulative Pounds​	Weekly Gallons​	Average Daily Gallons​	Wet Basis Pounds​	Dry Basis Pounds​
​	Feed Consumption​	Water Consumption *​	Weekly Manure Output​
Feed consumption, water consumption, and manure output of Pekin ducklings - per duck basis, mixed sexes​
1​	0.6​	.50​	.50​	.41​	.06​	0.9​	.11​
2​	1.7​	1.65​	2.15​	1.11​	.16​	3.0​	.36​
3​	3.0​	2.55​	4.70​	1.22​	.17​	4.7​	.56​
4​	4.0​	2.55​	7.25​	1.26​	.18​	4.7​	.56​
5​	5.1​	3.25​	10.50​	1.57​	.22​	6.0​	.72​
6​	6.2​	3.60​	14.10​	2.22​	.32​	6.6​	.79​
7​	7.0​	3.90​	18.00​	2.77​	.40​	7.2​	.86​

Holy crap!!! (Literally!)

 

[Stipenvlerk]

love the story and the reaction of @corriemartin on the numbers @Isaac 0 provided.
Mine were first on towels which gave me a full laundry machine a day to keep them somehow clean. Because the did spill their food and drinks and pooped everywhere.. after a couple of days I moved to industrial paper towels so they could not eat it when getting wet. But o boy the smell. And after to much water spill they didn’t like it no more and peep peep peeeeeped until I cleaned their bedding. They have a heated area which is a little raised, not much and they love it there... surprisingly they keep that part quite clean. I didn’t think they would be capable of that.

since yesterday (10 days old) they have beech chips of 8mm. They love it. Waaaay less peeping since yesterday morning. It may have helped that I adjusted their water supply. Instead of a fancy bowl they now have an ugly plastic container with a lid where I cut a hole.( inspiration from this site) so they don’t make such a water mess.

above sounds quite dramatic but so far they are two happy ducklings

 

[Teneniel]

I’m on my second round now and they went straight to the mama heat pad method outside after the second week and they are THRIVING! I’m also doing deep litter because our soil is clay and I’m trying to build gardening beds. So, every new animal gets temporarily put in a future garden bed spot until they reach their permanent housing (or in the case of the broiler chickens, processing) age and when all is said and done, I have space for more food!

my little micro homestead is built on puppy playpen panels, tarps, zip ties, and extension cords.