Duck/chicken coop bedding

[Abby125]

I have a 10x10 barn I turned into a coop but my ducks get the bedding so muddy I was wondering if anyone has any ideas on how I can do this, i want to find something that I can clean out Less often. I have been using shavings but it takes a long time to clean it out and it starts to stink really fast and the wood floor gets really nasty and damp. I was thinking of making a drain in and spraying out the poop in the morning but I’m not sure if the floor would rot out but it is already a little damp when it rains or the ducks swim I just need some help on ideas

 

[aart]

I have a 10x10 barn I turned into a coop but my ducks get the bedding so muddy I was wondering if anyone has any ideas on how I can do this, i want to find something that I can clean out Less often. I have been using shavings but it takes a long time to clean it out and it starts to stink really fast and the wood floor gets really nasty and damp. I was thinking of making a drain in and spraying out the poop in the morning but I’m not sure if the floor would rot out but it is already a little damp when it rains or the ducks swim I just need some help on ideas

Do you have a run too?
Duck water should all be outside the coop, IMO.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I'd be concerned about the floor rotting if it's so wet all the time. Is the structure elevated at all or does it sit directly on the ground? Is the wood treated or covered in anything or is it just raw wood? If it's on the ground it might almost be better to have no floor...

Do you have a duck pond inside? I'd move that and any other water out. Lots of wet + poop = stinky mess, regardless of the bedding you use.

 

[Abby125]

I'd be concerned about the floor rotting if it's so wet all the time. Is the structure elevated at all or does it sit directly on the ground? Is the wood treated or covered in anything or is it just raw wood? If it's on the ground it might almost be better to have no floor...

Do you have a duck pond inside? I'd move that and any other water out. Lots of wet + poop = stinky mess, regardless of the bedding you use.

The floor is elevated I have thought about taking it out but there is beams going across , it’s not treated It’s just raw wood, I don’t have room for a large pong or I have a tiny little pool I fill up a few times a week it’s outside but when it rains it gets muddy and that doesn’t help either

 

[rosemarythyme]

Once weather is a bit better, I'd consider removing all the bedding, letting the floor dry out as much as possible, and putting down linoleum or some other flooring to protect the wood.

The other issue is figuring out why there's so much water/mud inside. Is the roof leaking or is there some seepage down the walls when it rains, or how is water getting inside, if the duck pool is outside?

 

[Abby125]

Once weather is a bit better, I'd consider removing all the bedding, letting the floor dry out as much as possible, and putting down linoleum or some other flooring to protect the wood.

The other issue is figuring out why there's so much water/mud inside. Is the roof leaking or is there some seepage down the walls when it rains, or how is water getting inside, if the duck pool is outside?

It gets wet because it’s on a slope and the water rushes down when it rains I have put In drainage rocks and they are working really well it’s Mostly damp two feet from the entrance.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Trenching in a drain to divert water before it reaches the barn is probably the only way to keep it dry then. If the slope is severe maybe a wall of some sort would even be necessary, not 100% sure on that.

 

[Abby125]

Trenching in a drain to divert water before it reaches the barn is probably the only way to keep it dry then. If the slope is severe maybe a wall of some sort would even be necessary, not 100% sure on that.

Thank you so much for the help. I have been looking into putting a drain in for a temp fix I put the rocks they have worked well so far

 

[Suedan]

I have a 10x10 barn I turned into a coop but my ducks get the bedding so muddy I was wondering if anyone has any ideas on how I can do this, i want to find something that I can clean out Less often. I have been using shavings but it takes a long time to clean it out and it starts to stink really fast and the wood floor gets really nasty and damp. I was thinking of making a drain in and spraying out the poop in the morning but I’m not sure if the floor would rot out but it is already a little damp when it rains or the ducks swim I just need some help on ideas

I did the exact same thing in an old horse stall and I have the same problem. I dug a trench but it fills in quickly after hard rains. Inside I put fresh layers of bedding down a few times each week. Every other week I shovel all the wet bedding out and repeat. Mine does not have a floor. Maybe trying the linoleum, a heavy tarp or horse stall mats would work. Maybe keep the bedding as deep as you can to keep it from becoming over saturated.