Products that help with odor control and safe for ducks?

[Fun7onfarm]

I’d love if you could let me know how it works!

They are messy for sure! I have never owned chickens either so not sure how they compare. But I love my new ducks. they are really sweet and lots of fun - I just need to work on finding solutions for smelliness! Also if I could find a solution for the loud quacking when I first enter their area that would be great but other than that they are pretty quiet which I’m thankful for for my neighbors’ sake.

thank you!

Chickens are a breeze compared to ducks! I’m a first time chicken and duck owner. Got them a couple months ago as chicks/ducklings - BEFORE our coops was finished! Lol. We are still finishing the coop, had to make adjustments to house 4 ducks and tons of rain in Texas slowed us down...anyway - the critters live among us in dog kennels until coop is done, about another 3 days. I placed PDZ down in kennels, first time in 2 months that I didn’t walk in where they are and wanted to barf! it smelled like nothing in there this morning! Wow! so excited! I love this stuff! Wish I had it from the start. I have been changing out the pine shavings every day to help with the smell. Today I will try to just sprinkle a little more PDZ and see if I don’t have to change bedding. Love it!

 

[KaleIAm]

I live in Washington too, near Seattle where we get a lot of rain. I feel like the rain likely helps with the poop and smell because it breaks up the poop and washes it into the soil. I could be wrong.

I use sweet pdz, but only inside my ducks' barn room. It does help with the smell. I compost their bedding and the pdz is always broken down by the time I use it in my garden, so I would be really surprised if you couldn't use it in your grass since it is a natural product. I suppose you could test a small area first.

One thing I've noticed is that food can affect the odor of poop. I had to feed one duck a lot of scratch for medical reasons, under the guidance of her avian vet. Her poop was really stinky! My other ducks' (who had a different diet) poop barely had an odor compared. I shared this theory with another BYC member who was feeding scratch and pellets to their ducks, and they discontinued scratch for a week to test it out. Their ducks area smelled a lot better! I've heard some members say that mealworms and high protein can affect the odor.

I feed Mazuri waterfowl, give my ducks tons of space to spread the poop out, and use pdz. I never scoop poop except in the barn and I don't have an issue with smell.

Regarding the quacking, personally I love it and have no nearby neighbors. I have heard that people offer free duck eggs to get neighbors to appreciate ducks in the neighborhood.

I'm happy to hear you are enjoying your ducks!

 

[addctd2plnts]

I have ducks but am on a farm where we can home them daily, and have compost pile far away from us. We have a large pack of rescue dogs. Although we have designated "dog pastures", we have one pea gravel pen to use for when it's raining and dogs need to go outside. It's maybe 6-9 inches deep. In the heat, if it smells we use a product made for dog kennels that is a miracle. It's not an enzyme but they say it is not something to simply "cover" the smell. From my experience, it completely deactivates the smell. On Amazon a real estate professional said they used it on a wood floor with years of cat pee smell and it totally cured it. I've used it in the wash for dog beds and horse blankets and it works there too. It's not soapy. If I had a pea gravel or draining site that smelled, I'd clean up all feces, then I'd keep ducks off of it for a day. Spray it liberally in the morning, then come back in the afternoon and spray plain water. When dry return ducks. If anyone was worried, they could call company and ask if it might hurt ducks. KOE Fresh Scent is the only one I've used. You don't smell any smell once it's dry. I buy it on Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Thornell-K...9&sr=1-1-18e0f783-7b71-42f0-a291-5a15b3cb969e

There's a guy on youtube that has ducks and has a system to "wash" his sand in the run. He says it keeps the run smell free.

I'm lining my duck house with high density polyethelene, so the wood doesn't absorb smells, but I think when you cleaned the house, you could spray onto wood, let dry and re-bed the house.

 

[Twhi7]

Hi fellow WA duck friend! I am also new to this duck thing, but mine have one more week until they head outside, so I am glad to have this topic to read about. I live near neighbors that we did warn we have 4 ducks that will be housed in the backyard, but I too want to keep my neighbors happy.

Hello!
I’m learning that having neighbors close by can definitely make it tricky because of smell and noise. So far no one has complained in the 3-4 days I’ve had them but it seems they are getting noisier which doesn’t bother me but I have one neighbor in mind that may not appreciate it. The good news is they don’t make any noise at night. Here’s to hoping it works out

 

[Twhi7]

Yep!

Awesome, thanks!

 

[Twhi7]

Chickens are a breeze compared to ducks! I’m a first time chicken and duck owner. Got them a couple months ago as chicks/ducklings - BEFORE our coops was finished! Lol. We are still finishing the coop, had to make adjustments to house 4 ducks and tons of rain in Texas slowed us down...anyway - the critters live among us in dog kennels until coop is done, about another 3 days. I placed PDZ down in kennels, first time in 2 months that I didn’t walk in where they are and wanted to barf! it smelled like nothing in there this morning! Wow! so excited! I love this stuff! Wish I had it from the start. I have been changing out the pine shavings every day to help with the smell. Today I will try to just sprinkle a little more PDZ and see if I don’t have to change bedding. Love it!

That’s wonderful! Thanks for the update - I will go pick up a bag today

 

[Twhi7]

I live in Washington too, near Seattle where we get a lot of rain. I feel like the rain likely helps with the poop and smell because it breaks up the poop and washes it into the soil. I could be wrong.

I use sweet pdz, but only inside my ducks' barn room. It does help with the smell. I compost their bedding and the pdz is always broken down by the time I use it in my garden, so I would be really surprised if you couldn't use it in your grass since it is a natural product. I suppose you could test a small area first.

One thing I've noticed is that food can affect the odor of poop. I had to feed one duck a lot of scratch for medical reasons, under the guidance of her avian vet. Her poop was really stinky! My other ducks' (who had a different diet) poop barely had an odor compared. I shared this theory with another BYC member who was feeding scratch and pellets to their ducks, and they discontinued scratch for a week to test it out. Their ducks area smelled a lot better! I've heard some members say that mealworms and high protein can affect the odor.

I feed Mazuri waterfowl, give my ducks tons of space to spread the poop out, and use pdz. I never scoop poop except in the barn and I don't have an issue with smell.

Regarding the quacking, personally I love it and have no nearby neighbors. I have heard that people offer free duck eggs to get neighbors to appreciate ducks in the neighborhood.

I'm happy to hear you are enjoying your ducks!

That’s all good to know, thank you!

I like the quacking too! I just worry that one of my neighbors is going to complain because in the 3-4 days I’ve had them it seems like they are gradually getting louder. Most of the noise is when I let them out in the morning/bring them in at night, or when I enter their area during the day they get really loud. But I have found that they are trying to mate (all girls, which I have read is normal) and they get really loud when they do that. Will this likely happen all the time or are there certain seasons? Do you have any tips or suggestions to keep them somewhat quiet? They are ducks and I know they will make noise but if I can do anything in my power to keep the neighbors happy I definitely want to! I’m hoping once they’re used to their new home they will quiet down a reasonable amount.

 

[Twhi7]

I have ducks but am on a farm where we can home them daily, and have compost pile far away from us. We have a large pack of rescue dogs. Although we have designated "dog pastures", we have one pea gravel pen to use for when it's raining and dogs need to go outside. It's maybe 6-9 inches deep. In the heat, if it smells we use a product made for dog kennels that is a miracle. It's not an enzyme but they say it is not something to simply "cover" the smell. From my experience, it completely deactivates the smell. On Amazon a real estate professional said they used it on a wood floor with years of cat pee smell and it totally cured it. I've used it in the wash for dog beds and horse blankets and it works there too. It's not soapy. If I had a pea gravel or draining site that smelled, I'd clean up all feces, then I'd keep ducks off of it for a day. Spray it liberally in the morning, then come back in the afternoon and spray plain water. When dry return ducks. If anyone was worried, they could call company and ask if it might hurt ducks. KOE Fresh Scent is the only one I've used. You don't smell any smell once it's dry. I buy it on Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Thornell-K...9&sr=1-1-18e0f783-7b71-42f0-a291-5a15b3cb969e

There's a guy on youtube that has ducks and has a system to "wash" his sand in the run. He says it keeps the run smell free.

I'm lining my duck house with high density polyethelene, so the wood doesn't absorb smells, but I think when you cleaned the house, you could spray onto wood, let dry and re-bed the house.

Awesome - I will definitely check it out. Thanks so much!

 

[KaleIAm]

That’s all good to know, thank you!

I like the quacking too! I just worry that one of my neighbors is going to complain because in the 3-4 days I’ve had them it seems like they are gradually getting louder. Most of the noise is when I let them out in the morning/bring them in at night, or when I enter their area during the day they get really loud. But I have found that they are trying to mate (all girls, which I have read is normal) and they get really loud when they do that. Will this likely happen all the time or are there certain seasons? Do you have any tips or suggestions to keep them somewhat quiet? They are ducks and I know they will make noise but if I can do anything in my power to keep the neighbors happy I definitely want to! I’m hoping once they’re used to their new home they will quiet down a reasonable amount.

My ducks have multiple shoutquacks. There's: omg something's going to eat me! (A stranger walked into the yard)
There's: human! Come outside and provide more resources! (Resources are time with me, fresh water, mealworms, foraging time, tomatoes, ect.
There's: I'm an important duck and I like to quack loudly!
There's: I just mated and I'm anouncing it!
There's: Omg the human is here, yes!!!
There's even: The car just pulled in! Human we know you are home now! Come here!

Unfortunately, I feel like aside from locking them in a sound proof room, or trading them in for muscovies, there's no solution for shout quackers. You can try to make sure they always have plenty of food and fresh water, but it doesn't seem to make much difference with mine. I give them fresh water 3 times daily and the first thing they do is scoop up dirt to mix into it. And yes, my ducks always want food - but what they really want is for me to sit near them while they eat it and take them for walks. They are very entitled.

Unless your shout quackers are yelling about other desires and you can somehow meet them? Though they may associate you meeting that desire whenever they shout quack, and it could get worse. I fear I have done that by taking my ducks out walking when they call for me.

For when you put them away at night you could get them a treat ball for cats and put mealworms inside. They can peck at it for a distraction. My ducks have one and enjoy it. I don't have a problem with them going to bed, because they know they'll get mealworms.

You could try lettuce on a chicken toy that is suspended. They sell them on Amazon. I've never used one, I just stick lettuce in water buckets. But maybe that could give some stimulation and distraction from quacking?

Are you on good terms with your neighbor? Maybe they are the kinds of people who like quacking?

 

[Twhi7]

My ducks have multiple shoutquacks. There's: omg something's going to eat me! (A stranger walked into the yard)
There's: human! Come outside and provide more resources! (Resources are time with me, fresh water, mealworms, foraging time, tomatoes, ect.
There's: I'm an important duck and I like to quack loudly!
There's: I just mated and I'm anouncing it!
There's: Omg the human is here, yes!!!
There's even: The car just pulled in! Human we know you are home now! Come here!

Unfortunately, I feel like aside from locking them in a sound proof room, or trading them in for muscovies, there's no solution for shout quackers. You can try to make sure they always have plenty of food and fresh water, but it doesn't seem to make much difference with mine. I give them fresh water 3 times daily and the first thing they do is scoop up dirt to mix into it. And yes, my ducks always want food - but what they really want is for me to sit near them while they eat it and take them for walks. They are very entitled.

Unless your shout quackers are yelling about other desires and you can somehow meet them? Though they may associate you meeting that desire whenever they shout quack, and it could get worse. I fear I have done that by taking my ducks out walking when they call for me.

For when you put them away at night you could get them a treat ball for cats and put mealworms inside. They can peck at it for a distraction. My ducks have one and enjoy it. I don't have a problem with them going to bed, because they know they'll get mealworms.

You could try lettuce on a chicken toy that is suspended. They sell them on Amazon. I've never used one, I just stick lettuce in water buckets. But maybe that could give some stimulation and distraction from quacking?

Are you on good terms with your neighbor? Maybe they are the kinds of people who like quacking?

Ah thanks so much! These girls are super sweet and will come right up to me but I think they’re a bit bossy I have a chair I sit in in their area in the yard and they will come up to me and quack for treats or if I’m feeding them and I run out of treats they will quack at me and nibble on my boots lol.

I actually just went over and talked to my neighbor (the only one I thought would have a problem with them... he’s an older man that lives alone and has had quite a few complaints about other neighbors for various reasons in the past... he’s a good person but not the friendliest haha). I apologized if the ducks were being too noisy and offered him the 5 eggs that they have laid since moving here. He didn’t even know I had gotten ducks and said he doesn’t mind ducks, he’s just glad they’re not chickens haha. He said not to worry and I told to let me know anytime if he wants eggs! So that was a HUGE relief.

thanks again for your input!