Current situation suggestions

[cchicks4]

ive had my ducks for a year. There are 6 of them. This is their current pen set up. They free range all day while I’m home to supervise which is a lot. But they also enjoy being in their little area and are locked there when I’m away ... the issue is the ground of their pen. It is pebbles. Which is great for water drainage and poop however they always end up with bumblefoot which I believe is contributed by these rocks causing sores or cuts on their soft feet. They never limp but I handle them a lot and notice the black dots. There’s no option to move the coop. Any suggestions? We live on a very treed property so their free ranging is in the forest.

 

[FishMtFarm]

I would do rubber mats just around the pool so they have the option to not stand on the stones, or put sand down over the rocks and keep it raked. The water will still drain thru it as the rocks keep that drainage space below it.

 

[DuckyDonna]

What about something like hay or straw over the pebbles? It would be soft and easy to rake up and replace but not as pretty as your run is now.

 

[Jpat]

What about something like hay or straw over the pebbles? It would be soft and easy to rake up and replace but not as pretty as your run is now.

Cheap and easy. Iam all about that.

i threw a bag of horse bedding in my run and clean out my coop into the run, its soft on their feet and never smells, never muddy

 

[DuckyDonna]

Cheap and easy. Iam all about that.

i threw a bag of horse bedding in my run and clean out my coop into the run, its soft on their feet and never smells, never muddy

yes, although I do deep litter I do fork out the "big chunks" every morning and throw it into the run. When I get a bit I rake it into a pile and they love to pick through it for worms and stuff. After it gets worn down a bit more into the garden it goes as mulch.

 

[The Dapper Duck]

I say straw or wood chips if you can get them for free from somewhere. Just change it frequently enough that the place doesn't get too gross. It rains a lot where we are so straw can get funky quick, but we have access to free wood chips that the road crews leave in piles.

 

[casportpony]

I would do rubber mats just around the pool so they have the option to not stand on the stones,

Excellent idea!

 

[Norcal527]

I agree sand would be soft and good for drainage.

 

[Runner duck mom]

We have a lot of trees on our property too. Acorns and pinecones seem to be the biggest cause of foot issues for our ducks in the fall. They are really sharp and there are a lot.
We use mulch in our run. It seems to be good on their feet. The worms like it and the ducks like to hunt for the worms

 

[cchicks4]

I agree sand would be soft and good for drainage.

I think sand is a much better option than straw or wood chips because of how much moisture they hold and allow for viral and bacterial growth. However, has anyone noticed sand creating a better home for mites or lice? we had a big mites issue last year with our chickens so I know they're around and am nervous about creating a nice home for them.