uses for duck "poop"

[kkattt]

Okay.. I am new at this.... They go to the bathroom so much... Any creative uses for the piles of "poop" Some people say it makes great fertilizer??

 

[easttxchick]

Here ya go.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=155848&p=1

 

[Amiga]

Just tossing in my 2 cents:

We brooded them on towels. I rinsed the towels before putting them in the water. The rinse water went on the garden, and the flowers LOVED it!

These days, I put duck straw on the garden as mulch, pile it on the compost where it does amazing things (breaks down reasonably quickly, leaving wonderful compost).

Sometimes I scoop up a few little piles and put them in a bucket with water and water potted plants with it. Impressive grows ensues.

I dump their swim pan into a small channel that leads to the grape arbor - fertigation!

Duck straw is the envy of my organic gardening buddies.

 

[FenDruadin]

Yeah, that stuff is great. I use the duck pool water to fertilize the garden, and I build new garden beds using the bedding. I also mulch around the fruit trees and other valuable plants with it, and they thrive. There is always new growth on the trees about a week after I add the mulch. I wrote about building new garden beds with duck bedding here:

http://curiositycat.wordpress.com/2011/04/03/convert-duck-poop-into-dinner-salad/

And here is a post about the gargantuan pumpkin plant that same garden bed is supporting this summer:

http://curiositycat.wordpress.com/2011/07/01/proof-is-in-the-pumpkin/

If you only have small amounts, such as what you find in a brooder, you can throw it in a compost pile, or make aerated compost tea. Basically, just put it with water in a milk jug or similar and set it in a sunny place. Shake it well several times a day for three or four days, then use it to water your house plants or garden. Best fertilizer ever. Of course, water from a duck's pond is already aerated compost tea after a couple days of use and can be poured directly on the garden.

Enjoy.

As gross as the duck poop is, I consider it a significant resource.

 

[kkattt]

Thanks for all the info! I am excited to try composing it!! Never thought I'd be excited about this!!

 

[TLWR]

I dump duck bedding every few days into a pile next to the woods. Mostly oak leaves and duck poop with some twigs and pine straw thrown in now.
I used that as a base layer in the new veggie garden this year before topping with dirt. Then kept dumping my duck bedding waste into the old pile. We'll move the garden for next year and I'll do the same - base layer of duck waste stuff.
I did have a small pool by the garden when I first planted it and used that water to water the garden each day. The plants loved it!