What kind of bedding in duck coop?

[SkyBlueJar]

We built a new fenced run for the ducks. Right now it's full of lush grass but I'm sure in a couple weeks the grass will be plastered in poop and it'll die off. Then I'll bring in some wood chips to give them clean ground to walk on.

So I could shovel out and replace the wood chips weekly (or as needed). But I'm interested in the deep bedding method where you keep adding fresh bedding material and the older material composts in place. But then I remembered that the deep litter method requires aeration - which chickens do automatically with their scratching, but ducks don't.

So if I want to try the deep bedding method, I'd have to go in there and rake the bedding material every couple of days. Right? Or put a couple of chickens in the duck pen... LOL

What do you do with your ducks?

 

[Alaskan]

Depends on the kind of ducks...

I now have Muscovy, and love them, they do NOT kill all the growing things in their pen/run area.

For them it is easy to hose down any poopy spots.

In their coop I put in bedding, add some fresh bedding every so often (maybe once a month) and then clean it all out twice a year (or more often if I let too many ducklings live in there fir too long).

 

[SkyBlueJar]

Thanks. They're mallard type ducks - Magpies.

 

[Alaskan]

The magpies will make the pen a mudpit. Don't worry... They will be super cute while they do it.


I think people usually go with deep sand or a smooth on their feet gravel.... But I think I have seen some plastic grass/astroturf pens too.

 

[SkyBlueJar]

LOL ok thanks

What's different about the muscovies? I used to have a couple of them in my chicken coop, and they enjoyed their kiddie pool as much as any ducks :shrug

 

[Alaskan]

The Muscovies are gentle to their pen, as long as it isn't too tiny. They don't dabble in the mud.... Though mine do have two earthworm farms.. However, my drake is super nice and puts the dirt back after he digs it out.

Here is my duck, last summer with a brood, in the regular duck pen... See? Green stuff.

 

[SkyBlueJar]

You're making me want muscovies, lol. Just wish they would lay 250 eggs a year like my magpies!

 

[Alaskan]

Yep... They are not giant egg producers. And they are super tough to kill, because they are exceedingly cute! (But they are the best tasting food ever.... So we do it anyway )

 

[SkyBlueJar]

That female in your picture is very pretty! I didn't know muscovies were like magpies, with ducklings having their adult pattern at hatching. Nice!

Do you keep mallard ducks for eggs and muscovies for meat? And would you say that muscovies consume about the same amount of feed as mallard types?

 

[Alaskan]

I had mallard types for only one year.... And now I have just Muscovy for meat and Chickens for eggs.....

The mallard types and Muscovies eat about the same I think... But what they like as far as treats is vastly different.

The Mallard types are much more vegetarian, the Muscovy lean a bit towards carnivores. The Muscovy love to eat small bait fish, and all meat, and cat food... They also love sunflower seeds.