messy runners

[duggat]

Hi, I have 4 ducks; two are runners. The runners have their own house but it is wood tongue and groove.
They poo so much and dance in their food and water bowl at night.
Although they have wood shavings and a good layer of straw replaced every day; the house is suffering.
Is there anyway to protect the wood on the inside as it gets really stained and wet? 05

 

[Marigold]

They don't need food and water in the house at night, so maybe you could leave these outside, that would help?
If the food is pellets you would need to make a shelter overhead to keep it from getting damp and mouldy.

 

[dorsetduckowner]

I agree, they make a right mess if they have food and water. I always give the access to just water overnight as sometimes they are in their night pen for 14 hours in the winter, a long time without water. I rest it on a plastic lipped tray to minimise mess.
You can also lay down a plastic sheet under the beading, that protects the woodwork a bit
Zo

 

[duggat]

I have made the mistake of putting their 'supper' in their house at night as I have done with the other 2 ducks.
The other 2 ducks have more table manners and their house is spotless!
Runners poo so much and that is the real problem as it is everywhere. Up the walls on the ceiling.....everywhere.
I put newspaper down first then protective rubber matting then more news paper then wood shavings, topped with straw and still they manage to poop in places that no duck should reach!!
Is there a wood preservative/varnish you can use safely? So when I can blast the house clean in the summer I can get it protected?
I also put everything on a plastic lipped tray.
I blame it on the fact that they were brought up by me and not a mother duck to teach them how to keep their bed tidy.

 

[foxy]

With my runner ducks they have a base layer of aubiose in their house, with a thick layer of straw on top( about 2 inches deep)The top layer is easily removed every few days, the aubiose just turned and I just top the straw. I buy the straw by the bale for about £3. The aubiose is very absorbent and is usually dry underneath the straw. I also add a sprinkling of stalosan F in very wet weather to help prevent damp inside the house.

I don't feed at night, and have their food and water some distance away, otherwise they will puddle the water close to their shed and the area becomes mucky. In really wet weather I place a "mat" of straw just outside their door to help reduce tracking mud into their house