Duck coop flooring in N. East Ohio

[DeniseV]

I live in N. E. Ohio and I used sand on the ground for my ducks outdoor pen flooring. I used sand last year. It was fine until fall/winter. It began to stink and it got very slippery in the winter. Any suggestions? I want to make the best choice before I switch things out?
Thanks...

 

[Autumn Leaves]

I am in southern Ohio and used sand for the last two years. My ducks share their pen with my chickens. I refresh my sand in the spring and fall. It has a 3 inch base of small pebbles and then 3 inches of sand topping. I found that thickness of sand and gravel kept the run from being an ice slick.

I also remove their pond and use a heated water source that they can only place their head into during the winter. If it warms up, they get a pool outside the run or if it is cold for a long period they get a treat and get to use my bathtub

My coop/run did not smell all winter - I actually had no smell until last week. I think limiting the amount of water in the run is key, along with having the correct size for the number of birds. My coop and run share a wall with the master bedroom of my house so I know when it is stinky out there!

 

[DeniseV]

Do you have a solid roof over top of them? Right now I have fencing above them as well as on the sides. I'm thinking of putting a solid roof on to help keep the rain away to help.

 

[Autumn Leaves]

I don't have a solid roof. The first year I did, but I havn't noticed a difference. My run is just too large for a real roof - but it is covered in hardware cloth.

My run is also located in a low spot that floods all the time. Adding the gravel base really helped with this.