Keeping the duck house clean

[raguilar]

Just wondering how you keep your duck houses clean. It seems my ducks make such a mess with their water, and I need to clean out the wet chips at least once a day. They are not swimming or playing in their water, they are just really messy drinkers. Do any of you have this problem, or any solutions on how to keep this from happening?

[Susie]

When I first ordered my indian runners, I found out brooding them was a major job, they are very nasty mess makers and it got worse as they got older, that was one of the resons I built them their own yard around an old cow pond and let the hen ducks raise their own clutch. One thing I did that might help was to put the water container in the brooder for 30 minutes, then remove it..Every couple of hours, it helped until they got larger, then they would turn it over..Maybe someone will have some good ideas they'd share...Watching to see what kind of answers you get:thumbup:

[hour3suns]

Our duck house stays clean because the ducks won't use it. No, not because there's anything wrong with it, they just choose to ignore it unless the temperatures are hovering around 0. Their house is open on the side facing the pond. We hinged that wall so it stays chained up and makes a little porch roof. If we want to close it we undo the chains and put it down. There are 2 nesting boxes in there but the ducks would rather make a game out of where the eggs are being layed around here. So basically I rarely have any cleanup to do with it. Now if they would use it in good weather I would.

Smiling & Waving,
Sharon

[Julez]

In the winter when the ducks were locked in all day I used straw for bedding. It isn't as absorbent but I found it easier to get it all cleaned out then having to shovel wood shavings. In the spring/summer they are outside all day and have a small waterer for when they are locked in at night.

Then I do not let them out until they have layed their eggs, all 6 female usually do by 8 in the morning.

Another thing I do is hang the water from the rafters, this seemed to cut down on them playing in it, even though yours don't play in it it may help.

Hopefully this helped a little,
Julez:thumbup:

[raguilar]

Thanks for all the tips. Mine are still a little small to leave out alone, since they share a fenced in yard with chickens and guinea hens, and I have found that the guinea hens pick on them. So most of the time they are inside unless I can be out to monitor them. Hopefully when they can be out all day there won't be such a mess, and I can leave their water outside during the day and bring it in at night.

[astevens4]

easy - the water is on the OUTSIDE of the coops!! ive never yet been able to keep a duck from splashing water everywhere, so i water mine outside now - they dont seem to have any issues going without overnight (as theyre sleeping, not drinking!!)

Tony

[Stimie]

I dug out a corner of their pen, boxed it in with 2x12s, put some sand in the bottom then filled it with pee gravel. Put the water bucket on the gravel, they splash up a storm and it all drains down into the gravel and sand. It was a lot of work but it works well.
Dave
PS. I have a dirt floor pen. Don't think it would work otherwise.

[Julez]

I dug out a corner of their pen, boxed it in with 2x12s, put some sand in the bottom then filled it with pee gravel. Put the water bucket on the gravel, they splash up a storm and it all drains down into the gravel and sand. It was a lot of work but it works well.
Dave
PS. I have a dirt floor pen. Don't think it would work otherwise.



My brother and I got thinking about this Stimie, and we took a small board cut it to legnth to fit in our tub where we have 15 ducklings right now. We put sand and stones in the bottom and put the water over there and put feed in the opposite corner that is covered with shavings. So far it has worked well. Cleaning out we are going to scoop out the sand and put new in when it is time. Will keep you all updated if you want to know how it works?

here are the pictures:

http://www.poultrycommunity.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=79&pictureid=569

http://www.poultrycommunity.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=79&pictureid=570

[skycladfaerielady]

I am stealing this idea for my next hatch of anything! :thumbup: :thumbup:

[Vampyra]

If you can make the ground they are on lean (like if you build a coop) put the water at the low end and it will drain away. My ducks are in my barn in their own coop and I keep the water on the low end and that helps. I keep straw towards the back and it even stays pretty dry.

Vamp

[skycladfaerielady]

If you can make the ground they are on lean (like if you build a coop) put the water at the low end and it will drain away.

Vamp

Vamp, You have so many good ideas! Am starting a new coop for my non-chickens next month & this is great! Thanks!

[Vampyra]

Glad to have helped

Vamp

[basicjim]

I made a little a contraption that made a big difference in the water area.

I bought a metal oil drip pan at the auto parts store. It's like, 2 foot by 3 foot. I made a 2X4 frame to fit around it on 3 sides and covered it with machine cloth.

I put the water container on that and when the ducks try to bathe in it, the water goes into the drip pan underneath. Every day I pull out the pan and dump it. Every 3 or 4 days, I pull out the frame and hose it down.

I don't have a pic of it, but you can see it in this video. Sorry you gotta watch the video to see what I mean.

Click here for video (http://albums.phanfare.com/psflash/video_b.swf?4;1048971;4069010;71831891;5bf75cd3896 c8047109539d31272ef4e) If the video doesn't play and it just looks like a picture, click on it and it'll start. The water tray is half way through.

Jim

[Vampyra]

I made a little a contraption that made a big difference in the water area.

I bought a metal oil drip pan at the auto parts store. It's like, 2 foot by 3 foot. I made a 2X4 frame to fit around it on 3 sides and covered it with machine cloth.

I put the water container on that and when the ducks try to bathe in it, the water goes into the drip pan underneath. Every day I pull out the pan and dump it. Every 3 or 4 days, I pull out the frame and hose it down.


Jim

Another nice idea and I enjoyed the video. Is that your place Jim ? You have a great set up.

Vamp

[basicjim]

Another nice idea and I enjoyed the video. Is that your place Jim ? You have a great set up.

Vamp

Thanks and yeah, that's our place. Luckily I have a brother-in-law that is a carpenter. The set up works pretty well. My only issue is the concrete pad was there when we moved in and it is not level. The rain water hits the pad and runs into the coop.

Beside that, I think it's pretty cool. After the 4-H project is done, we're going to go down to 2 ducks and add in some chickens.