What do y’all use for DUCK bedding?

[DuckDuckPromise]

Hey y’all! I have read several articles on what to use as chicken bedding, but not nearly as many on duck bedding.
Seeing as they have a seemingly magic capability of turning anything into a muddy mess, I’m curious what y’all use to combat that.

 

[fowltemptress]

Shavings, but I don't offer any food or water in the coop. The shavings last for ages that way. In the area outside their coop where they do have water, I've screwed together four boards, filled the inside with several inches of pea gravel, and set their pools on top of that.

 

[DuckDuckPromise]

Shavings, but I don't offer any food or water in the coop. The shavings last for ages that way. In the area outside their coop where they do have water, I've screwed together four boards, filled the inside with several inches of pea gravel, and set their pools on top of that.

I didn’t know they could go without food and water! I know it’s probably just overnight, but that’s interesting to know!!

 

[Duck Breeder]

Hey y’all! I have read several articles on what to use as chicken bedding, but not nearly as many on duck bedding.
Seeing as they have a seemingly magic capability of turning anything into a muddy mess, I’m curious what y’all use to combat that.

I use pine shavings as well premium grade they seem to like the finer shavings better and chopped straw in the Coop and nesting boxes. it's really beautiful when they mix the straw with down. I have 3 hens broody and staying on the nest and two more close.

 

[fowltemptress]

I didn’t know they could go without food and water! I know it’s probably just overnight, but that’s interesting to know!!

Oh, yeah, I should have clarified it's only for overnight! I should also add I only do that for adult ducks; I give ducklings access to feed and water 24/7. When I have ducklings, I have them sectioned off in an area of the coop with the same pine shavings I use for the rest of the coop. As their shavings get mucky, I stir them up and add another layer of clean shavings on top, and I keep doing that until the ducklings are old enough to go without food and water at night. Then I remove the partition, take out all the soiled bedding that's accumulated in that section over the weeks and put it in a compost heap, and put down fresh shavings. With ducklings you just kinda have to resign yourself to the mess.

 

[Tookie]

I'm using pine shavings in the coop, and leaves in the run.
I really don't like how messy and nasty the pine shavings get, if they sleep in there for many nights. Since I live in a warmer climate, they only need to sleep in there for a few months in winter. The rest of the year I let them sleep in the run. The leaves in the run compost down pretty quickly and more need to be added often.

 

[cheezenkwackers]

Pine shavings like everyone else. You do have to remove a few handfuls of poopy shavings a day but then it lasts for several days. I use hay on top of shavings in dish pans for nest boxes.