[kat2290]

Hello! Ive had my first ever ducklings since yesterday but im concered because they are eating their bedding. To begin with they were on wood shavings and were eating it constantly and it was also getting mixed up in their water very quickly, so have decided to change this and now put them on straw. They are still eating the straw though! They've got a feeder full of food which they are also eating, but still pecking away at the straw! I don't really know how to prevent them eating it so I was wondering if anybody has any suggestions?!
Thanks!

[joyfull]

do you know what sort of bedding they were on before?

[kat2290]

I'm not 100% but I think it was straw, when I picked them up I brought my own box which I had put wood shavings in.

[AL Hathaway]

i hatched out khaki campbell ducklings this year for the first time i used the splay leg matting (not what it's called) bought it at home bargains for 45p a roll and had a plastic tray put in the brooder used it for 3 weeks could wash out the tray and clean the mat if i wanted too as baby ducks are so messy when it comes to food.

[Kate and her Ducks]

How old are they? Duckling are known for doing this and it can cause intestinal onstructionin the worse case scenario. That being said they seem to grow out of it quickly.

I tend to cover the bedding with an old teatowel for the first week or so which gives them the absorbancy and grip but they can't eat it. Also easy to shake out over the compost heap and then wash!

[binghamd]

AL do you think you could find the exact name for what you used. I hope to be hatching ducks next year and know that they make an awful mess.

[kat2290]

Thanks everybody for the replies, they seem to becoming less and less interested in the straw so I think we'll be ok. They certainly seem happy enough, I can't believe how much they have grown in 3 days!