Run the manure and bedding cycle
Regular cleaning keeps animals healthy and turns waste into soil fertility and, optionally, biogas.
How
- Remove wet or caked litter from poultry and duck houses regularly; ducks make very wet manure and need daily attention.
- Clean coops on a regular schedule; Oregon State suggests weekly cleaning and sloped floors that drain.
- Move manure and bedding to the compost bays or digester set up in the waste module, never into watercourses.
- Rotate holding yards and add wood chip or sand to dry spots, without creating low points where water pools (Rhode Island guidance).
- Use finished compost on the food gardens and pasture, following the food module.
Safety: Wear gloves and a dust mask when cleaning dry poultry litter, and wash hands afterwards.
Do these first
Sources
- Living on the land: Backyard chicken coop design (EC 1644). Oregon State University Extension Service, accessed 2026-11
- How should I care for my pet ducks?. RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase, accessed 2026-11
- Healthy Farms, Healthy Watershed Fact Sheet 3: Best management practices for small acreage livestock farms. Northern Rhode Island Conservation District, accessed 2026-11