Choice of bedding, frequency of changing, and possible use of disinfectants?

[fowlfriend]

I am experimenting with various bedding for cleanliness, and ease of use. Wanted to know what most of you experienced duck owners use and why? also how often do you find yourself cleaning or changing bedding in the duck house. We have a large shed that houses our ducks at night, with layer boxes for egg collection. The layer boxes have straw, while the floor has shavings. they seem to work okay but will tend to get expensive over time. Can anything be used to prolong the life of the bedding?
As always, thanks for your input. it is greatly appreciated
Dean

[Patrick]

The best bedding is none at all. House them out doors, with a three sided shelter bedded with straw. It will seldom get used other than in severe cold, and the bedding will stay clean for long periods. Any bedding with waterfowl in confined places is going to be a hassle. Shavings or staw are your best bets, but will need frequent changing no matter what you do. A predator resistant fance around your shelter, with a hot wire around the top should work great. They use the house for feeding and laying, and it will keep your food dry. Eventually they might not even use it for laying.

[fowlfriend]

Thanks Patrick for your response. Unfortunately we have lost some ducks to Owls and the yard is too large to cover in netting. we have also had possum and raccoons take up residence (albeit short-lived) in the duck house. So we feel more secure putting them up in the PM , and when we release in the AM, we collect the eggs. So far the routine works, but can be a little labor intensive.

[Patrick]

Then the trade off is obvious: build a smaller yard that you can secure properly, or deal with the extra work in changing bedding. BTW, a simple, inexpensive hot wire around the top perimeter of even the largest fence will solve your possum and raccoon problem.

[Oregon Swedes]

fowlfriend, mine have a very large fenced yard, plus a coop with a smaller covered run for at night.

I dislike straw type beddings. They don't absorb much and they are miserable to clean as soon as they get wet. Pine shavings are easier to clean, but they get expensive.

If you live where there are lots of deciduous trees, you can save all the leaves in the fall and use those for bedding. Pellet stove pellets work well, but they are more expensive.

My ducks are not yet outside, but this is the plan. The night time water will be in the covered run, over a water pit to keep the ground drier. The coop has a raised floor, treated to make it water-proof, and then I will throw a thin covering of sand over it. The sand will make the poop easier to shovel up with a flat nose shovel. I am hoping that the sand will stop the poop from sticking to the floor.

Sand and poop are easy to dispose of because they can go into the garden.

I do not expect the ducks to be inside the coop very often. They will have free access between the coop and the covered run. Ducks prefer to be outside.

As for the sand, I bought a 10 yard truck load because I use it in my potting soil mix. It's cheap that way, but costs an arm and a leg if you buy it by the bag.

The litter method of keeping chickens doesn't work with ducks because of the amount of damp involved with ducks. If your coop has a dirt floor, then don't use bedding. Just clean the surface of eh dirt with a leaf rake and shovel out what you rake up. Occasionally toss a wheel barrow full of fresh dirt over the top to keep the ground level.

[Oregon Swedes]

My opinion: your ducks will be healthier if you don't use any disinfectants. Save those for if you have the misfortune to get some sort of nasty infectious disease in your flock.

I wash feeders and waterers frequently, but with plain water.

[Patrick]

My opinion: your ducks will be healthier if you don't use any disinfectants. Save those for if you have the misfortune to get some sort of nasty infectious disease in your flock.

I wash feeders and waterers frequently, but with plain water.

I'd like to know how you justify that. True, waterfowl do seem to have a higher resistance to a lot of contagious pathogens than many other birds. The theory about helping them build up even more resistance, if that's even possible, by exposure might not look like such a good idea if you get hit with something nasty, and only then decide to disinfect. Periodic disinfection is time tested and proven to help prevent the spread of disease, and THAT keeps your birds healthier.

[Evy]

Sand is fine, dirt will become a muddy, slimy mess after a few rains. Ducks LOVE to drill in the mud. Leaves for bedding are bad news...no absorbancy, will also become slimey & moldy. I use fine hay over shavings in the barn, changing it only 2-3 times a year, turning & top dressing as needed. Before you say ''Ick'', feed inside, water outside, keeps it dry except for just inside their entrance. That can be replaced periodically. Even my small Calls spend very little time inside, even in winter, except for those that make nests in the corners. http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/listing/user/evy-a

[fowlfriend]

Evy and all thanks for the replies. am cleaning out house today, will leave water outside this time. I was under the impression that water should be given with food for ease of digestion, and cleaning bills, but would agree that it is probably the biggest culprit to a messy house. I still put them up in the PM. they come running when its meal time, and I feel better knowing they are not Owl food. Owls have been my only threat, the coons had been rabid, the possums left w/o to much fuss, and I have never attributed a duck loss to them. Thanks again, and Evy...loved the pix