Thinking out loud...opinions please

[jack & mommy's duckies]

Well I'm glad my thoughts sound good. Every once in awhile I get a good one. I think I'm going to build one this weekend and raise some on it the end of March. I've got a bunch coming from Metzers...so I'll see.

Anyone else going to try???

 

[easttxchick]

I actually have some Calls due to hatch on the 9th of February, I think I might give this a try-especially since I currently have 15 developing and thatsa lotta messy ducklings!

 

[StellaDuck]

Depends on how many square feet to how many babies you have. I think all the poop would just flatten down and kill the grass. You could water it extra and just make sure that there is plenty of drainage. you will have to do this every day. It could work. I would also just recommend Sod for $2.50 a flat, so easy to replace every week and you are not as attached to if if the babies stomp out the grass.

 

[jack & mommy's duckies]

Quote:
Ohhhhh great idea, I think I'll go with that one instead of trying to grow grass. And I have a sod farm across the road I'm sure I can get a good deal on left over stuff

 

[jack & mommy's duckies]

Thought on Sod.............they spray it with who knows weed killer and mayber fertlizer...will that harm the baby's???

 

[Sunny Side Up]

This is how I brood ducklings, using 2 big wide plastic bins, a plastic tray and about 8 old beach towels. Spread the towel across the bottom of the bin. Raise one end of the bin up a few inches and put the plastic tray at the low end. A lid from a plastic shoe box works well for a tray. Put the waterer in the tray, the food in a bowl on the towel, and set the lamp near the high end.

Tipping the bin helps keep the spilled water at one end. The tray also helps keep (some of) the spilled water contained. The towels get changed at least once a day. Some folks run them through the washing machine, but I prefer to hang them on the clothesline and give them a good hosing, then let them dry. With 6-8 towels I can have a clean dry one ready to replace each time. And having 2 bins allows me to give one a good hosing & let it air dry while the other is in use.

No other type of flooring or bedding works as neatly as old towels for ducklings & goslings. You can use up your old threadbare ones or buy them cheap at the thrift store.

Being in South Florida also gives me the advantage of putting the ducklings outside during the warmest parts of the day. Once they're about 2-3 weeks old they go in a bottomless but covered pen in the grass to leave their mess outside. I still bring them in by nightfall to stay in the bins until they're old enough to be all feathered.

 

[kristen2678]

Sod may have chemicals. The sod I generally see is cut very low too. For this to work I imagine the grass would have to be an inch or so high? It sounds really interesting. Maybe start with a layer of gravel, then dirt and seed. Would help a bit with drainage. Going to follow this one....

 

[Big Dreamer]

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I think that would work great for the drainage, and maybe have at one end TINY slits at the end, and have the broody tilted just a little so the babies wouldnt notice, but the water could still go out into a tray, or just like what i said grow a bunch and switch them out everyday!