Shelless egg

[TearDucks]

I agree, it depends on the situation and what works for you. I may just say screw it next winter and not even bother bC it was waaay to much work. I use straw in my coop but mine are adults. I only used the shavings when they were tiny and in the house.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have always used shavings and use deep litter so I go in each day and scoop out the wet poop and fluff only add new shaving every 2-3 weeks.

 

[TearDucks]

Deep litter? What kinda litter? I fluff the straw daily pitch fork out the wet and add a little new then change it out completely every few days. Sounds like ive been doing it ....not the easy way?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well I started out using straw but I hated it. With deep litter you get about 6-8" going it can be costly at first. I buy shavings at the feed store it's called horse bedding so it is thicker than reg animal bedding It is so much better for ducks because the wet mainly sit on top so scoop up with a shovel then just turning the bedding over takes care of it. Then depending on how much I scoop out daily depends on when I add more. Some even use thicker than 8" I never change my bedding completely out it has good microbes in it too. In my main coop is 14 ducks and 28 chickens. Once I clean daily it doesn't smell either. Roosts are cleaned with water and Oxine ah with essential oil of lemon added.

 

[TearDucks]

I will have to look into this stuff. I have a mountain of old straw and then in the warm weather I'm spraying vinegar and water and scrubbing the coop bc it'll grow mushrooms.
I'm so glad I joined this forum!

 

[onaharley]

You know putting food and water inside it up to the individual, I have tried it and it didn't work even putting the water inside something I think my Runners would fill up their mouths turn around and spew the water out all over their shavings My Muscovies weren't near as sloppy.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have also used vinegar and water with essential oil of lemon mixed to clean roosts. It works good too.

 

[onaharley]

In the spring summer and fall I have just leveling sand in the pen. The leveling sand is what you use when you install patio pavers. Twice a day I scoop up the poo, it's like a big kitty litter box. I rake it all smooth and it looks nice and doesn't smell. Super easy to maintain. I keep their food and water inside the pen too. This winter was my 1st winter with ducks and it has taught me alot!! When you make your pen always account for the added height of shavings and straw.....this i did not think of I used heated buckets for water, worked great too! The only down fall with the water is every morning i take a large amount of wet straw out of the pen. this is mostly around the waters. I ended up taking the empty bags from the shavings I bought and cutting a C shape template around the water buckets. This was helpful in containing the water in one place and not allowing the water to saturate all the pine shavings and straw when they drink. I just grab the plastic with the wet straw and throw it outside the pen, put the plastic back down and I rake up all the dry straw they have been walking on and put it on top of the plastic...its good until the next morning.

My back yard currently has 5 bails of used straw just hanging out...I have a golden back yard......i have already taken one load in my 8 foot bed truck of straw to our other property to burn and i will probably have another 2 loads by the time it warms up!!! Ducks.....the never ending story of clean up

 

[Miss Lydia]

Keeps us busy.

 

[TearDucks]

Hello friends!
I like that idea a giant litter box! Yes the clean up is ...oh my. All the stuff I planted well...they ate it. the lilacs, the iris', the peonies...and much more. This year they should be better on my yard bC they go in the river. They didn't last year. Even the foam board on the house they chewed all up. Siding soon...

Came up with a name for my new girl. Ostara! It's the spring equinox and it's like her feathers light and dark.....I like it hehe. She's been doing good with some of my other ducks. She isn't eating very much. Her previous owner said she was a big forger how over u spell that. That she only ate layer pellets if she was super hungry. I bought some blue seal mutiflock food. I think it's the wrong food its a starter crumble. That's not what I wanted. I got her Sunday i think it's way too soon to let her out of the big pen I don't think she would come back for me. I think she is anxious to get out to find food though. Being a Muscovy what will she eat? The layer pellets are plant based and so is the crumble I bought. She's not a fan. I seen her nibble little bits. Any ideas? I might dig for some worms for her.