Cement and wood chip?!

[4Duckssofar]

Hi all, I’m re doing my ducks run this weekend as it’s turned into a complete mud sludge! I would have left it for them that way, but the ducks aren’t even enjoying it anymore by the looks of things! So my question is, would a cement base be ok in their run covered with woodchip? How will it be cleaning wise? I’m going to dig their pond deeper and bigger and have pebbles for the edge of it. It’s just the woodchip/cement I need clarity on. Hopefully someone can help!

 

[Miss Lydia]

If you pour cement why not go with stall mats over then wood chips. saying cement is hard on their feet.

 

[Isaac 0]

Would you post pictures of the area?
My inner Mason needs to point out cement is a powder; concrete is the hardened form of (cement, sand, gravel). A cement run would not look pretty.
My run mainly consists of actively decomposing wood chips and other plant matter - there is no concrete bottom, just dirt.
Depending on how your setup looks, filling it with wood chips/plant matter may do the job, and you can save yourself time pouring concrete.

 

[Miss Lydia]

A cover over the run would help too. I can't imagine my 30 something birds in a run with out a cover over it. Phew Whee lol

 

[4Duckssofar]

Here’s a picture. As you can see mud, mud and more mud !! Any advice is welcome, I just want to make sure they are happy and comfortable in their run. The only reason I thought cement might be good is because I thought the woodchip would just sink into the mud? We live in the UK and it rains a lot. I have just added a cover too.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well you could add straw and make bricks, just joking?

I'd think just about anything you add is going to eventually end up mixed into the mud. But maybe not so much now that you have the top covered.

 

[NatJ]

The only reason I thought cement might be good is because I thought the woodchip would just sink into the mud? We live in the UK and it rains a lot.

If you add just a few wood chips, they will sink into the mud.
But if you put them in quite thickly, there can still be plenty of clean ones on top.

By "quite thickly" I mean 4-6 inches or more (metric approximation: 10-15 cm or more.)

 

[Isaac 0]

As Nat mentioned, the wood chips need to be put in thickly to prevent it from sinking into the mud.
Here is my run:
The wood chips are nearly eight inches deep.
It is turned with a pitch fork every so often to aid in dispersing fecal matter. I think it is important to add I havent had issues with bumblefoot using the wood chips with the birds.

 

[4Duckssofar]

As Nat mentioned, the wood chips need to be put in thickly to prevent it from sinking into the mud.
Here is my run:
The wood chips are nearly eight inches deep.
It is turned with a pitch fork every so often to aid in dispersing fecal matter. I think it is important to add I havent had issues with bumblefoot using the wood chips with the birds.

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View attachment 2758545

Ahhh this looks amazing!! Exactly the sort of thing I was hoping to see. Thank you!