Best Outside Pen Litter

[loofa]

I've been searching through the forum as I assume this topic has probably been covered a bunch, but I seem to only be finding inside coop litter. I'm grateful for answers here or direction to other threads.

What do you all do for outdoor pens? Wood chips? In kind of a deep litter format? I've seen some mention of sand? Rocks/gravel?

It's rainy where I live and this is a real outdoor pen with mud and grass and ivy and such.

 

[SolarDuck]

Straw is good, some harder materials like rocks or woodchips could be bad for their feet.

 

[Dux]

I've been re-sodding my cuties' outdoor run every spring but it gets worn down by the fall (and they spend most of their daylight hours in the nice weather in their tractor.) So when it starts getting bad I top the poopy areas with wood shavings (and fallen leaves from our trees when we do our fall clean up). By this time of year, the shavings are getting quite deep, especially in their favorite corner (nearest the door where the treats come in) and it feels pretty springy underfoot. Hopefully all the padding will help with some of the bumblefoot problems they've had in the past and maybe even help keep them warm when it gets colder. The shavings come in a kraft paper-wrapped bale from the local feed store and are much cheaper than the chopped straw that I use in their indoor area.

 

[BigLar368]

We use straw in the run. For a while we used nothing but the dirt that was in the run. Adding the straw keeps the smell down as well. The ducks sleep and lay eggs on the ground. Our coop which is attached to the run is elevated and the ducks prefer the ground.

 

[loofa]

We use straw in the run. For a while we used nothing but the dirt that was in the run. Adding the straw keeps the smell down as well. The ducks sleep and lay eggs on the ground. Our coop which is attached to the run is elevated and the ducks prefer the ground.

Do you rake out and fully replace the straw or do you just add more? How often?

 

[KaleIAm]

The best outside substrate probably varies depending on how many birds you have, how much space they are in, if they have a covered area, your weather, and your personal preferences.

I live in a very rainy area so I could never use straw outside - it would mold quickly. At first I used pea gravel in some areas and I had lots of bumble foot issues, my vet told me to take it away and grow grass outside. That is what I do now. I have a very large aviary split in two. When my ducks begin to destroy the grass on one side, I move them to the other side and I reseed and regrow the first side. Another way to accomplish this would be a tractor over grass, but I didn't feel comfortable with predator proofing a tractor.

Living grass works for me, because I have the space and ability to have a large aviary. I also have a small flock. Whatever substrate you go with I would recommend choosing one that is soft for duck feet, so you don't end up with foot issues.

I use straw inside our barn for my ducks. I put down about 4-6 inches and completely empty their room every weekend. About every other day I scoop out the spot where they sleep all night, because they poop a lot there. If I leave it one weekend it will get moldy, and if I get lazy and try adding more to cover up the soiled straw it will get moldy. I use a pitch fork instead of a rake, soiled straw is a bit difficult to work with.

 

[BigLar368]

Do you rake out and fully replace the straw or do you just add more? How often?

So far I have just added to what we have. Eventually I will get out my tiller and turn it all under and put some fresh straw down. For now it's been holding up pretty good for quite a while.

 

[B-Goock]

I use pine shavings inside and as they start to get bad i reuse them in the run. Outdoors the ammonia can vent away and keep it out of the coup.
Leaves. Trimmings.
Some saw mills you can get saw dust cheap or even free. Ask a local tree trimming business if they have any shavings.
Since I live on a rock I dig my run out and wheelbarrow that chicken dirt they make to fill low spots & add to the garden. Put a new fresh bed down.