What bedding and how often do you clean out your ducks?

[gal5150]

We are now months in and the pea gravel is still fantastic. I cannot stress how easy it is to maintain and literally zero odor?! It's awesome, still only takes 5 min to hose down (and that includes cleaning the pool, etc).

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

I'm going to line the floor with vinyl, I'm from the uk so would people suggest wood shavings or wood chip for the flooring of the shed that they will be in during the day? How often would you clean out the whole lot if I poop pick every day? I'm thinking of having three ducks. In the house that I'm going to keep them in to sleep, would straw be best? How often should this be cleaned out? How often would I have to disinfect everything? Sorry for all the questions just trying to get everything right before getting them!!
Abi

We recently built an 8x12 coop for our free range ducks (they're closed in at night for safety). It has a vinyl floor, and it can be easily scraped with a plastic drywall knife. Our bedding choice is large pine flake, which is reasonably absorbent. I've been thinking about trying pine pellets instead, though, as they are super absorbent. We used them in our duckling brooder and it worked great, even with all the water splashing in there. As far as clean-out intervals, we just keep an eye on how poopy it looks and do a total change-out as needed - dirty litter just goes on the compost pile.

 

[Amiga]

I do a sniff test - sometimes conditions can cause ammonia to form, in spite of me using Sweet PDZ under the bedding. And that's a problem for ducks. I may go back to adding some peat moss to the shavings, that seemed to really help.

I use a watering station for drinking water - keeps the rest of the bedding relatively dry.

 

[chickenrk]

Hi all, can i use Aubiose for ducklings?
Thank you

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi all, can i use Aubiose for ducklings?
Thank you

As long as it isn't cedar and doesn't have a strong order It is safe. I looked it up and since it's natural hemp I say go for it. What about price compared to reg shaving for horses which is what I use?

 

[chickenrk]

Hi Miss Lydia
Thank you, will see how it goes. I am not sure how it compares in terms of price, but will have a look - it was the only bedding the local shop had when i bought it.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi Miss Lydia
Thank you, will see how it goes. I am not sure how it compares in terms of price, but will have a look - it was the only bedding the local shop had when i bought it.

Okay well you being in UK hard to compare to us. I can buy a huge bale if reg horse bedding here for $6.00 never seen Hemp before but it would be nice to have the choices. Other than straw and hay which to me does not hold up well under water fowl. I like deep bedding.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Okay well you being in UK hard to compare to us. I can buy a huge bale if reg horse bedding here for $6.00 never seen Hemp before but it would be nice to have the choices. Other than straw and hay which to me does not hold up well under water fowl. I like deep bedding.

I totally agree about hay and straw not being the best bedding material for a duck coop - it just forms a mat that's easy to scrape off (a plus) but does pretty much nothing for absorbency. I've been layering straw, pine flakes, and sometimes hay. It's really the pine flakes that seem to perform best, and even they can't stay dry for long.

I have a bunch of ducklings in a brooder right now and the water mess is unbelievable. Fortunately, warm weather is nearly upon us and they'll be going outside in a tractor during the day to splash themselves silly (in shallow pans, of course!).

 

[Miss Lydia]

I totally agree about hay and straw not being the best bedding material for a duck coop - it just forms a mat that's easy to scrape off (a plus) but does pretty much nothing for absorbency. I've been layering straw, pine flakes, and sometimes hay. It's really the pine flakes that seem to perform best, and even they can't stay dry for long.

I have a bunch of ducklings in a brooder right now and the water mess is unbelievable. Fortunately, warm weather is nearly upon us and they'll be going outside in a tractor during the day to splash themselves silly (in shallow pans, of course!).

I clean everyday in side my flocks houses. Too bad I don't do my own the same way.

And splash themselves silly they will. hey what about some pics before they grow up.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

I clean everyday in side my flocks houses. Too bad I don't do my own the same way.

And splash themselves silly they will. hey what about some pics before they grow up.

LOL...I hear you on the cleaning (it's at least 2xday with the ducklings right now!) and the animals are fed more regularly than I am.

Ok, here are some pics...


Here's the only late hatcher - wrapped in a washcloth so she could get some vitamins by dropper. It works pretty well when you have to do it alone. She's a little smaller than everyone else, but it's hardly noticeable now and she's as spunky as can be.




First bath outside...and first time on grass!