Best bedding for ground?!?!

[chickenonahill1]

Hey everyone, I've got four ducks . Two Perkins one Rouen and one Blue Sweden. I have them right now in a run sort of thing with a pond. But it seems I have to clean there water and the floor almost twice a week. I was hoping some one has found an easy way to constantly filter the pond water so that I don't have to refill it every 3 days. my other question is its always so muddy in there I have sand down now. Does n e one have a solution for what to put on the ground? maybe all rock I have no idea could you give me some feed back on what you have done. Thanks a bunch

 

[HeritageGoose13]

Some people use some kind of filter/pump to clean the pool, but I don't know much about that.

Could you post a picture of the run?

 

[Amiga]

I have found that having the run on a slight slope - just a couple of inches drop in elevation per fifty feet horizontal, keeps water from puddling.

I use smooth pea gravel and sand under the swim pans - but I have the slope, and the water drains into a shallow channel that leads to a garden bed. Waters and fertilizes the garden for me.

OldGuy43 had a nice filter setup - search the archives for that (I will see if I can find a link in the meantime).

For the rest of the run, I add chopped straw and fluff it in. Natural composting starts taking place, and it does not smell bad at all - earthy, and just a little poo smell from very recent activity. Every week or two, depending on weather, I sprinkle another half inch of chopped straw on top. A few times a year I rake it out - and it's beautiful for gardens!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/716298/duck-pond-filter-shower-with-lots-of-pictures