The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: WarescotFarm on August 16, 2012, 10:10:35 pm
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Evening everyone,
I have hatched 4 lovely runner ducklings.
Now previous routine had been they stay under heat inside for a few days 24 hours a day. Then as warm they spend daytime outside evenings in.
Now they are 10 days old and happily living in a rabbit hutch in the garden, it is in the sun during the day (not too hot though) and the sleeping compartment has a seperate box inside covered in a towel so no cold from outside is on their sleeping walls.
Anyway down to the point - they STINK! I clean them every day. Have tried woodchip, soil, hay, grass clippings and a mix thereof.
They have a painters tray with water so they can learn to swim, they poop in it and splash it EVERYWHERE, all over the bedding etc... I am sure this is usual behaviour but how do other people manage it?
I have my chickens on a deep litter method and it is AMAZING, but I don't think this will work with the water.
Any suggestions?
Thanks WF
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Water seems to be an endless problem with ducklings - they just spread it everywhere.
I gave up giving them anywhere to swim at that age (I saved that until they got outside), and instead gave them a large drinker made from a 5 litre bottle stood on a plant tray. This in turn was stood on top of a large tray covered in mesh, so that the water they invariably dabbled out drained into the large tray (which they couldn't get access to), and hence didn't end up all over the bedding.
I'll not pretend this was perfect, but it was way better than the last time we had them. I'd be interested to hear what other folks do though!
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Because they make so much mess mine only get drinking water until they are a bit bigger.
My only thought re the smell is possibly charcoal sprinkled amongst the bedding to help absorb some of the water and smell
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When did you put them outside and when can they join the flock?
OUr 7 week old duckling is MASSIVE with full feathers. It is bigger than the chickens but they still beat it up when they are in the garden. They are in the same coop but separated by mesh at the moment.
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They should be on wire in a hutch far from where you can smell the nasty. A solid floor and ducklings never works.
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We use seed trays to introduce the ducklings to water BUT these are rinsed and filled with a water can outside. The duck bath is covered over so that the ducklings do not drown and the adults climb up into one of those plastic sandpits that we fill with water and have steps made of house bricks to help the little ones.
Our problem is that the mums are very protective of their ducklings and will go for other ducklings that try and join their brood. - More complicated by 2 mums sharing one brood and getting very nasty. I killed one of the spare mums the other day and now we have a more tranquill garden.
Smell - sure when it is hot and no rain to wash away poo but generallythey are OK if you don't keep them locked up in a hutch.
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Hi,my layers are in a run with a sloped concrete base it is sloped towards a central 4' X 2' x 2' pond.There hut has a wooden slatted flaw with gaps between the slats for the poo to run through.They have lift out fruit boxes filled with shavings for nest boxes in there hut.The hut is also stood on the concrete plinth.
Every day I wash it all with a hose pipe into the pond.There is a pump in the pond that pumps all the dirty water onto my raised beds.There is a brick edge round the base to stop the mess going over the sides.
The growers and fatteners are all out in my orchard with no access to water other than for drinking,with my geese.
Graham.
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Yep, they do just stink and you do just have to clean them out a lot. Actually, the best thing I found when they were 'largish ducklings but still indoors' was sand. Just scraped off the top, dirty layer daily. It stunk a lot less than shavings etc.
I keep mine in the kitchen when they're tiny and the hall when they're bigger :D Might be connected to my single status :roflanim:
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Hi,my layers are in a run with a sloped concrete base it is sloped towards a central 4' X 2' x 2' pond.There hut has a wooden slatted flaw with gaps between the slats for the poo to run through.They have lift out fruit boxes filled with shavings for nest boxes in there hut.The hut is also stood on the concrete plinth.
Every day I wash it all with a hose pipe into the pond.There is a pump in the pond that pumps all the dirty water onto my raised beds.There is a brick edge round the base to stop the mess going over the sides.
The growers and fatteners are all out in my orchard with no access to water other than for drinking,with my geese.
Graham.
That sounds interesting - any piccies of your set up?
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Hi,hear is some pics of me making it,the first shot shows the hut with a wire bottom I didn't like that much.You can also so the first pour of the concrete base the concrete falls away to the right and forward.I have since done a second poor in front of that the same size and sunk a plasterers bath in the ground as a pond.I cut the pond into the second base as an after thought for some where for all the water to collect deep enough to pump away.Originally I was just scraping it and it stunk.
Due to me adding the pond to concrete on the second plinth has cracked up and the levels were also wrong so have gunned that back out so still WIP,this is now MK5.
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc431/graham68j/SL380217.jpg)
In the second pic I have since replaced the wire flaw with wooden slats,I have also moved them closer together they are now only 12mm-1/2" apart and the wire mesh removed.I use the same house for my chickens and ducks the only difference is the chicken house has a lift off nest box.All the birds also benefit from the extra ventilation,and good by to wood shavings.Hardly any cleaning out,no wood shavings less and more concentrated waist.
Graham.
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc431/graham68j/SL380218.jpg)
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If I'm not mistaken that's been put together with R2 turbo golds ;-)
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Hi,yes they are a loverly fixing aren't they.I find they don't corrode in like like a lot of other screws.So are also good for modifications which I do regularly,almost weekly it seems.
The R2 is from tool post and the turbo golds are from screwfix but both are basically the same.
Yes I admit it I am a nerd. :excited:
Graham. ;D
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You have an amazing level of understanding when it comes to premium fastenings ;-) :innocent:
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Hi,sounds like I'm speaking to a fellow expert, :thumbsup:.
What part of the country are you from.You use the same terminology as some one I know.
Graham.
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I'm no expert, I just take advice from those who know but I'm pretty sure
you he told me last week that the R2s come from tool station. :wave:
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Ah Morning yes I thought so,how you doing.
How are you getting on building your new duck house.
Are you going to post some pics.
Graham. :wave:
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Ah morning! Found you whilst searching for advice on these filthy monsters you delivered!
The run I was building is done, just need to cut some greenery back that's in there.
I'm using a spare chicken coop for a house but after seeing yours I'm going to have a go at putting a similar floor in. I take it you don't have a problem with drafts coming up from underneath? I know that can be a real problem for chickens.
I'll stick some pics up when it's all a bit more sorted.
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Hi,so far I had had no trouble with drafts,I converted my hen houses first,I think you should be able to control any updraft by the amount of ventilation you have at the top of the house for air to escape.It can't be any more drafty than a chicken roosting on up a tree or duck on a river bank.
None of my new style houses have been through a winter yet mind,but damp and cold on wet bedding has got to be far worse than dry but well ventilated.If draft dose prove to be a problem I guess I could always add a skirt round the bottom.I have set the slats closer together than the ones in the picture about 10 to 12 mm,on both the duck and the hen houses.I have used 2" X 1" slats in the duck house and 2" X 2" in the hen houses.
The best part of it is no more wood shavings to keep getting rid of,it has drastically reduced the amount of waist produced by both my chickens and the ducks.
Now I just wash all the waist away with a hose,into the pond then pump it away,very easy.
It is still very much WIP I am currently re doing the concrete base.
Graham.
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Concrete base isn't an option for me unfortunately, the neighbours are going to love my ducks!!
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Hi,as long as you keep the numbers to what you say,you should be OK.You don't really need a drake either.
Any way how can any one not like something as cute as they are. :innocent:
Graham.