Pooping machines in brooder! How do you manage?

[charlindabob]

Here's my .02 worth, for what it's worth......

I hatch out the number one pooping machines, Muscovy ducklings. Those little buggers must poop a minimum of 50 times each day per bird!....lol

Anyway, I have those see-thru large plastic containers from Wal-Mart and at first used old towels and paper towels. Had to change 3-4 times a day. I started using PINE wood chips (edited to mean shavings) and this is so much easier and the smell and dampness is no where near what the other was. Tomorrow I am going to TSC and see if I can get some Horse Bedding Pellets and try that. From what I've heard it is superior to wood shavings. Wood shavings (pine, NOT cedar) only has to be changed once a day now.

Once I use the horse bedding I'll try to post results unless someone else on here is using them and can post their results.

 

[Arielle]

I used horse pellets for horses and the material caked into my horses feet. Despite cleaning out the feed everyday, the feet started to rot. I changed back to shavings.

Soooo, I am very interested in the results from your trial.

For my muscovy I use hay. THe moisture drains down and away from the ducks.

Meat birds-- I have a few cornish X and I don't have an good system to raise them. At this point I plan to go to a project meat bird in hopes of getting better gains than the typical heritage bird, but not as crazy as the Cornish X. ALl that manure is wasted feed that was poorly digested. I have beeen feeding fermented feed to my crew and while it slows the growth, the reality is they are still a slightly slower eating machine.

Joel Salatin has a number of books-- I highly recommend getting them via your local library. While I love the idea, a number of factors need to be inplace. THe most important is flat graxing areas. I live in rocky NEw ENgland, and have as many rocks as trees to contend with. Portable coops don't work here. My goal is to try portable electric fencing. Might even try the cornish again with the portable electric AND have my boys camp out with the birds. ( NOt likely, lol)

Salatins books inspired me to keep trying to find solutions to my problems.

 

[charlindabob]

Here's my .02 worth, for what it's worth......

I hatch out the number one pooping machines, Muscovy ducklings. Those little buggers must poop a minimum of 50 times each day per bird!....lol

Anyway, I have those see-thru large plastic containers from Wal-Mart and at first used old towels and paper towels. Had to change 3-4 times a day. I started using PINE wood chips (edited to mean shavings) and this is so much easier and the smell and dampness is no where near what the other was. Tomorrow I am going to TSC and see if I can get some Horse Bedding Pellets and try that. From what I've heard it is superior to wood shavings. Wood shavings (pine, NOT cedar) only has to be changed once a day now.

Once I use the horse bedding I'll try to post results unless someone else on here is using them and can post their results.

I changed my mind about the horse bedding pellets. It might be ok after you wet it and let it dry, but my ducklings are doing their best to taste and eat the wood shavings and I'm afraid they would actually eat the horse bedding pellets since they are small like pelleted food. I will keep them one more week on pine shavings then transfer them to outside wire floor cage until they are big enough to go in an enclosed pen on the ground. IF they would eat one horse bedding pellet, it would swell up in their stomach and possibly kill them in my opinion.


At two days old............................................................................At two weeks old

 

[Arielle]

OH they grow fast!!! I think that is prudent on the pellets.