Duck coop flooring

[Artoflife90]

How about grass? Has anyone tried that before? I know they will definitely eat but my pen is fairly light to be move aroud.

 

[SolarDuck]

How about grass? Has anyone tried that before? I know they will definitely eat but my pen is fairly light to be move aroud.

Grass works some people have tractor setups and just move them around to new grass. Be careful of any digging predators though.

 

[Artoflife90]

It looks like you have a pekin. If you go with wood shaving, I would recommend that you regularly check you ducks' feet for sores like bumblefoot.

My pekin did poorly on pine shavings, even though I did find shavings easier to work with. That is why my vet told me to use straw or hay. I know other members have ducks who don't have issues with pine shavings, and some members have the same problems as I used to have before I switched to softer substrates.

Straw will mold quickly when it gets wet, though.

It looks like you have a pekin. If you go with wood shaving, I would recommend that you regularly check you ducks' feet for sores like bumblefoot.

My pekin did poorly on pine shavings, even though I did find shavings easier to work with. That is why my vet told me to use straw or hay. I know other members have ducks who don't have issues with pine shavings, and some members have the same problems as I used to have before I switched to softer substrates.

Straw will mold quickly when it gets wet, though.

Grass works some people have tractor setups and just move them around to new grass. Be careful of any digging predators though.

Yes, right now I am currently treating my Pekin with bumblefoot. Thankfully my blue Swedish is free of it. But this is why I am trying to figure out the best flooring for them.

 

[Ratchnick]

How about grass? Has anyone tried that before? I know they will definitely eat but my pen is fairly light to be move aroud.

Works but they need a big yard and you have to hose the poop out of the grass

 

[Artoflife90]

Works but they need a big yard and you have to hose the poop out of the grass

I have a huge backyard that’s all grass. That’s why I was considering it as their flooring. I will definitely be able to hose it out.

 

[Percipen]

I used the blackjack last summer, lowes sells it. Its nice, you can paint it up the walls and it stands up to shovels ect. Also truck bed liner would probably be good too.

I looked up the black Jack and they have a lot of products. Which one did you use and does it leave chemical smell behind that could make the ducks sick? Should I have some other housing prepared for my ducks for a couple days after its applied? Right now we have sealed wood with tarp stapled on top to help it last longer, but I would love to have something more permanent.

 

[KaleIAm]

How about grass? Has anyone tried that before? I know they will definitely eat but my pen is fairly light to be move aroud.

Grass works great for me! I have grass outside but so many people can't keep it lush I sometimes stop bringing it up. I have a 30x30 for aviary for my ducks that is grassy. I only have 3 ducks, and I never hose the poop away. We do live near Seattle where it rains a lot so perhaps nature does it for me because it never gets stinky. I walk around barefoot inside their aviary all summer without poopy feet.

My concern with your light set up, is like @SolarDuck mentioned - predators. If you don't have a skirt they may dig right under. Otherwise a moveable pen that you relocate to soft grassy areas seems ideal.

This is what my vet told me about preventing/and assisting in healing bumblefoot. That I should take great care to keep my ducks on soft surfaces. She told me to have 4-6 inches of straw or hay inside our barn where they sleep at night. And grass outside in their aviary. She told me to remove all rocks, patio stones, pea gravel and anything hard from their environment.

She also gave me antibiotics, ointment, antibacterial wash, had me buy boots for healing, ect.

 

[Ratchnick]

I have a huge backyard that’s all grass. That’s why I was considering it as their flooring. I will definitely be able to hose it out.

I looked up the black Jack and they have a lot of products. Which one did you use and does it leave chemical smell behind that could make the ducks sick? Should I have some other housing prepared for my ducks for a couple days after its applied? Right now we have sealed wood with tarp stapled on top to help it last longer, but I would love to have something more permanent.

Black jack 57 rub-r-coat.

I did a lot of research on if it would introduce toxins into the food chain. Yes its bad if it hurts my ducks but if i eat their eggs and get sick that's worse. I ended up asking a chemist who said as long as it is completely dry it basically becomes inert. I put on 3 thin coats and let them dry for a day in between then let it all dry for a week. It smells when you put it on but does not when its dry.

 

[Artoflife90]

Grass works great for me! I have grass outside but so many people can't keep it lush I sometimes stop bringing it up. I have a 30x30 for aviary for my ducks that is grassy. I only have 3 ducks, and I never hose the poop away. We do live near Seattle where it rains a lot so perhaps nature does it for me because it never gets stinky. I walk around barefoot inside their aviary all summer without poopy feet.

My concern with your light set up, is like @SolarDuck mentioned - predators. If you don't have a skirt they may dig right under. Otherwise a moveable pen that you relocate to soft grassy areas seems ideal.

This is what my vet told me about preventing/and assisting in healing bumblefoot. That I should take great care to keep my ducks on soft surfaces. She told me to have 4-6 inches of straw or hay inside our barn where they sleep at night. And grass outside in their aviary. She told me to remove all rocks, patio stones, pea gravel and anything hard from their environment.

She also gave me antibiotics, ointment, antibacterial wash, had me buy boots for healing, ect.

Lucky for me the only real predators around my neighborhood would be dogs and cats. However, my backyard is dog proofs and I’ve notice the cats don’t really bother them. I never had a problem with any animals digging up their pen.

 

[Stoney Meadow Maple]

my coop has steel mesh floor with rubber stall mats on top of them, it works awesome. neither the steel mesh nor the stall mats support mold growth, the stall mats are somewhat forgiving for duck feet and i put pine shavings on top. easy clean up, spilled water drains right on through, and the stall mats can be hauled out to be cleaned if need be.