Anyone used landscape fabric?

[Ruralhideaway]

I would expect it is good for them. I've not had ducks in over 30 years!

Seems your turnover might be faster using DL wth wetter birds but that's ok I have room to pile things.

You've even got me beat, been about 15 years since most of my birds were gone I guess. I did have an errant duck about 7 years ago though. I've missed them, really looking forward to the summer months with them trashing my flower beds! They are all good company.

 

[Kat C]

Where we lived before glass was always popping up in the chicken yard. We were using a very old two room house for our coop. The glass never bothered the chickens, just us. While they swallow small stone for grit in their gizzard, the apparently never think that bits of glass are good. I never slaughtered a chicken with glass in the gizzard. In fact they specialized in quartz stones and that was all I ever found, never granite or any other type of stone. They are very discriminating. Little bits of bones however they might like as a calcium source just like they eat oyster shells. I doubt that ducks and geese differ in this.
As far as I know landscape fabric is petroleum based and may well leach chemicals into the soil. It smothers the soil so beneficial soil critters can't live. Many of those soil critters make good poultry feed. I have never used landscape fabric but I have seen it where others have used it and in time it breaks down into small pieces. I would be more worried about that than glass metal and bones.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

Where we lived before glass was always popping up in the chicken yard. We were using a very old two room house for our coop. The glass never bothered the chickens, just us. While they swallow small stone for grit in their gizzard, the apparently never think that bits of glass are good. I never slaughtered a chicken with glass in the gizzard. In fact they specialized in quartz stones and that was all I ever found, never granite or any other type of stone. They are very discriminating. Little bits of bones however they might like as a calcium source just like they eat oyster shells. I doubt that ducks and geese differ in this.
As far as I know landscape fabric is petroleum based and may well leach chemicals into the soil. It smothers the soil so beneficial soil critters can't live. Many of those soil critters make good poultry feed. I have never used landscape fabric but I have seen it where others have used it and in time it breaks down into small pieces. I would be more worried about that than glass metal and bones.

Thank you, all these opinions really help me find my best solution!

 

[Birdinhand]

if I were to do it all over again, I'd have dug down and poured a slab and then done the DLM on top, maybe 6-8" overtop the slab... especially if I was worried about sharp stuff underneath.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

if I were to do it all over again, I'd have dug down and poured a slab and then done the DLM on top, maybe 6-8" overtop the slab... especially if I was worried about sharp stuff underneath.

That's another option worth a thought. I've spent half the winter swearing I'm going to pave the coop to keep rats out. Then I dig up parts of the floor and think I'm good. For awhile. It's very annoying.

 

[Birdinhand]

That's another option worth a thought. I've spent half the winter swearing I'm going to pave the coop to keep rats out. Then I dig up parts of the floor and think I'm good. For awhile. It's very annoying.

yes, those damn rats! maybe I should qualify, if I were to pour a slab, I'd have a lip around the edge where the hardware cloth was attached directly, to keep rats out. when I put my HWC in, I dug down 2', at a 45 degree angle. I had one rat get down and around it, then I dug it up and back filled with 5/8th's gravel and have never had them get in. still, I know it's rusting and will eventually need to be redone, at which point I will be very tempted to pour a slab.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

Exactly, anything else is really going to fail sooner or later. I have old barn wall on one side, can't angle skirt just straight down. Old concrete sidewalk on the other side, I actually poured a lip there last summer but they pick at the edges. Hateful beasties.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I agree using it over a large area probably wouldn't be a good idea. ]

I only have it around the watering stations It's amazing how fast they can bury even large rocks.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

View attachment 1282069 I agree using it over a large area probably wouldn't be a good idea. ]

I only have it around the watering stations It's amazing how fast they can bury even large rocks.

I like that setup. Seems they can keep their feet nice and dry while throwing water without making a ridiculous chore for you. Nice smooth rocks too!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yep they love to throw that water around and I have to put up rocks around the bucket to keep my gander from standing on the side of the bucket and turning it over. he loves to stand on the side of a bucket.

I just spray off the rocks in the evening when I am filling up all the buckets.