Best flooring for ducks and geese

[sharpiewashere]

We are currently building a barn for about 30 or so ducks and a few geese. The front half of the barn is office and storage and will be concrete, but our dilemma is the room where the birds will be. What flooring would be safest for their feet? We've always had a dirt floor (with straw bedding) in the old pen, but I'm on the fence about putting concrete throughout the new barn. Would it be okay, or is there a better solution that would be durable, easy to clean, and safe for webbed feet?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I like concrete floors because we get rats in the fall and the concrete slows them down, I also like that I can clean it, with a dirt floor sometimes you don't know when to start and there can be some leeching of moisture, but it's best if you want to do deep litter, in the end both types will work, it just depends on what kind of maintenance you want to do.

 

[sharpiewashere]

I like concrete floors because we get rats in the fall and the concrete slows them down, I also like that I can clean it, with a dirt floor sometimes you don't know when to start and there can be some leeching of moisture, but it's best if you want to do deep litter, in the end both types will work, it just depends on what kind of maintenance you want to do.

Concrete wouldn't be too cold in winter? I mean, they would be on straw and possibly cedar shavings, and they would most likely have heat. I just thought concrete might chill them.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Thick bedding helps, but ducks go outside on the snow a lot, I wouldn't use cedar shavings with poultry, the fumes can kill, and heat is unnecessary. Most ducks are very winter hardy and will even swim if open water is available. I'm unaware of any breeds that aren't hardy.

 

[sharpiewashere]

Thick bedding helps, but ducks go outside on the snow a lot, I wouldn't use cedar shavings with poultry, the fumes can kill, and heat is unnecessary. Most ducks are very winter hardy and will even swim if open water is available. I'm unaware of any breeds that aren't hardy.

Okay thank you.