hey, i changed the tea towel in my brooder yesturday and its all wet already what can i do to keep it dry for longer ? and now the chicks and ducklings fethers are getting wet and sticky please help thanks ~Daniel~
Nobody can answer that question without your providing more information and description of everything. Without it, any answer you'd get would just be a general guess that you could figure out for yourself.
Quote:You have chicks and ducklings brooding together?? yes couse i only got 1 lamp with a red light and 1 brooder looks like im just going to have to change the tea towel everyday more info on wa tho ? lol
If you are using one of those plastic waters check the bottom and see if there is a crack, also if it is not level it will fill up to much on one side and overflow. PS you can also set the water container on some folded news paper (allot of them like a whole one0
Ducklings are the answer....have you watched them drinking yet??? They are such mess makers...they drip water everywhere and puddle in it. I use a small container with a lid over half of it to try and keep the mess limited. I also put the water container in a small dish to catch the drip as well.
You aren't changing it every day? What are you calling a tea towel? In my part of the country, it is a small, very thin towel used to dry dishes. You might try something more absorbent if that is what you are using. Quote:
Ducks are the sweetest little hatchlings but by far the messiest. I wouldn't keep them in with the chicks -- too wet and too much poo. They can be in the same area but separate them with a screen or something. Also, be sure to check not just for cracks if you're using commercial waterers but also for a bad seal around the base -- I bought a bunch of them this spring, and bought the plastic jars also since that way I thought I would avoid mason jars and the risk of glass breakage, but I found most of the plastic jars so loose fitting that the water would leak out in short order. So I had to switch to quart mason jars anyway. Finally, not trying to lecture or be a know it all, but for the health of the birds they need to be kept clean. You really should change out their bedding at least twice a day, morning and evening. I found when they were young the best thing was pine bedding, even though they would eat a little of it. It is absorbent and helps keep odors down. You can get away with changing it out once a day and adding a fresh layer on top 12 hours later if you must -- I confess I did this a few times when I was running late for work in the mornings, but it's not ideal. Best system is to have duplicate EVERYTHING -- storage bins, heat lamps, waterers, feed dispensers, etc., so you can just transfer everybody into a clean fresh bin, and then take the old one out to be cleaned for the next change in 12 hours.
Because ducklings play in/with water. Since this is their nature, housing ducklings and chicks together is not a real good idea.
