tips for making this less work =)

[mah46036]

Hi, I search the forum but didn't see what I was looking for. Anyway, we have 6 chicks and 2 ducklings in a plastic tub in our tub. They are 2 weeks and big enough to fly out of the tub but not able to get back in yet. They eat like pigs and crap even more.

They go thru a quart of feed and 2 quarts of water a day now. I put the water on a small baking sheet to try to contain the spills but it doesn't seem to help much. I have to clean the tub out at least every other day now. I hate to think what it will be like in a few more weeks. too cold to put outside yet. only 40 degrees for the high today.

Any tips for making this easier?

 

[write2caroline]

Well I kept mine in a big plastic bin in my tub but you can also use a metal horse trough. It is a good size. I used sand and scooped it as needed like cat litter. I don't think you can get out of cleaning but I also noticed mine loved to roost at about a week and a half or so old so maybe giving them a nice piece of wood to roost on will encourage the poop to be in one area that you can clean more easily.

Caroline

 

[scbatz33]

you are going through all that water because you have ducks.

Separate them out if you can. That will make cleaning easier. Ducks are soooooooo messy.

I raised 7 chicks in my bathroom. Starting in a plastic tub then upgraded to a large box then into a large dog crate. They were in the house for 6 weeks. The last two weeks I had to change the shavings every other day. They would drink a quart waterer every other day as they were growing. Towards the end they were doing that much water every day.

It's the ducks! I promise you if you separate them out you will see the difference in what those 6 chicks are doing vs the 2 ducks.

This hatch I have nine chicks. But we are starting in the dog crate - so I don't have to keep finding boxes! LOL!

There is cardboard all the way around to keep the shavings in. They are right now using about 1/4 of the space so there is tons of room for them to grow.

 

[doxies1]

Get a couple of nipples and put them in a small bucket for clean easy to fill water. For food cut a piece of pvc in half and put turkey wire over it to keep youngns from scratching it out.
Example of warerers---------- http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3984.m570.l1313&_nkw=Nipple+waterers&_sacat=See-All-Categories
Make a brooder and get them out of the house.

 

[mah46036]

Here is how we have them right now. sounds like the ducks are the mess but don't have anywhere else to put them for now.

 

[scbatz33]

Quote:
OH YEAH! you got ducks! LOL! Do you have another plastic tub to put them in?

 

[mah46036]

This is our first batch of chicks. we do ducks every year and let them go. Our littlest loves to swim with them in the tub. lol I don't remember them being this messy before. Oh well.

This year we were planning on putting the ducks in the chicken run.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
You let them go?

 

[mah46036]

Quote:
You let them go?

yes, they probably end up as coyote food but at least they have a chance. They always start out swimming down stream in the creek but we have never seen any of them again.

 

[doxies1]

nother option for watering is at -------http://cgi.ebay.com/5-Poultry-Cup-Drinkers-pvc-mounting-saddle-/160556186956?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2561e4fd4c