Ducks are animated and fun animals to have around your farm or acreage. But making a suitable bed for them can be difficult. To determine the best bedding solution for you, consider the age of your ducks and how often you will be able to change the bedding.
Bedding
There are a few different materials you can use for duck bedding: wood chips, straw, hay or grass clippings. Many online forums recommend using wood shavings or sawdust because it is easy to clean. This is an ideal bedding for adult ducks, but a bad choice for ducklings, according to CallDucks.net. Ducklings eat the chips and can die as a result.
A better choice for rearing ducks is straw. If you can, chop the straw into smaller pieces to make the cleanup easier. Don't use hay and grass clippings because these can easily harbor aspergillus, a mold found on decaying matter that can lead to a disease in both humans and birds that affects the lungs and other organs. Those who are asthmatic or have a compromised immune system are at highest risk.
Make sure that all bedding used is non-toxic to prevent accidental poisoning.
Keeping Beds Clean
Ducks are messy, much more so than chickens. Because of this use bedding that is absorbent and that you change before it begins to mold or get smelly. No matter what type of bedding you use, clean it regularly. Many people like wood shavings and sawdust because you can easily scoop the soiled areas out as you would a cat's liter box. Keep the bedding area clean so ammonia does not build up and harm your ducks' eyes and lungs.
Add soiled bedding to your compost heap. This green way of dealing with the waste adds beneficial elements to your compost.
Making Your Duck Home
Keep food and water out of your ducks' bedding areas to reduce the amount of mess and the bacterial growth that could accumulate. If your keep the bedding clean and dry, you can remove the dirty sections without removing all the bedding. This will help keep your ducks warm during the winter and is especially important for ducklings, which are especially susceptible to extreme weather conditions. Keep your unused duck bedding in a dry place.
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