Duck Flooring Problem

[abasset2]

Hello, I am having a problem with my duck/chicken coop. We at one time, had a snake problem so I had my boyfriend's father come out and fix it. He got wooden beams and placed them around the coop. He laid concrete to seal them in and leave no entry points for predators. That has worked very well in that sense. The new problem I face is that I am having a drainage problem. The ducks continue to swim in their water bowl which turns the dirt floor into mud. I sprinkle wood chips down but those eventually get muddy. I am not sure what to do. Suggestions please?

 

[PD-Riverman]

Hello, I am having a problem with my duck/chicken coop. We at one time, had a snake problem so I had my boyfriend's father come out and fix it. He got wooden beams and placed them around the coop. He laid concrete to seal them in and leave no entry points for predators. That has worked very well in that sense. The new problem I face is that I am having a drainage problem. The ducks continue to swim in their water bowl which turns the dirt floor into mud. I sprinkle wood chips down but those eventually get muddy. I am not sure what to do. Suggestions please?

Dig the low side to create---or create a drain that the water can get out of it and dry.

 

[Bills vs Beaks]

Or, you could let them swim outside in a run or something in the day, and not let them have water at night while they are in the coop. Ducks can go the night without water.
Pictures of your setup might help us too

 

[TLWR]

If the water is in the coop, remove the water. They don't need it overnight.

 

[chickens really]

Yep, water outside in the run......

 

[abasset2]

Thank you all for your help so far! I will send pictures soon. So taking out the water during the night is alright? The backyard is under construction right now so I am not able to start any expansion project for the coop to build a run until the yard is in order. I plan to hopefully build a run where the chickens and ducks can roam during the day outside of their coop. I also plan on building a pond with a filtration system for the ducks to swim in.

 

[Bills vs Beaks]

Ok!
Yeah, taking the water away overnight will not hurt them

 

[abasset2]

Dig the low side to create---or create a drain that the water can get out of it and dry.

How would I do that? I concreted the walls so that snakes would not be able to enter. Wouldn't that make it to where they can?

 

[PD-Riverman]

How would I do that? I concreted the walls so that snakes would not be able to enter. Wouldn't that make it to where they can?

Bust a hole in the concrete on the low side---put some hardware cloth across the new hole, or add a floor drain----I am not looking at it so I am guessing and just for info a snake can climb a tree, a post, the side of a wall if he has something to get traction on. Not sure how or what they did to fix the snake problem.

 

[cutnglass]

If you have a "dirt floor", then you may wish to install a small version of a "french drain" beneath the concrete. Don't forget to put a "cap" on both ends of the pvc pipe, so that mice or snakes do not have a way into your coop.

Following is sketch of old-school version of a "french drain" using landscaping cloth, pvc pipe with holes drilled in it, and coarse gravel. See more details at http://www.wikihow.com/Build-a-French-Drain.

Below is modern "pre-fab" french drain material available at most big-box hardware stores. It is basically a perforated flexible plastic pipe inside a mesh tube with a layer of what looks like old-fashioned packing peanuts.

Lightweight and convenient; however it would be a lot more work to dig a hole large enough to accommodate the 10" diameter product.

Digging below the concrete may not be as difficult as "busting through concrete." Good Luck.