Duck run is stinky!

[lchavis]

Is there anything I can do to make our duck run less stinky?

 

[TLWR]

what is in your run now, how big, how many ducks and what do you do to clean it?

 

[0wen]

I don't keep ducks (only chickens) but have this year, switched to using wood chips (not shavings) as my coop bedding and run ground covering and found it to be a good odor/mud/etc management method. You may need to run a rake across it every so often (chickens do well enough scratching it around, but I still run a leaf rake across it from time to time for peace of mind). No mud, no odor, no flies, etc.

Whenever I need to service the DLM in the coop, I simply move it into the run since it's the same material - or, if it's began to compost, I'll add it to a pile. Same with the run bedding - I'll sift the compost out of it and leave larger wood chips to continue the process.

 

[Welshies]

One thing you can do is add more spacec if they forage, if not make it 3" pea gravel or sand and hose it down weekly and rake it.

 

[lchavis]

We have 8 ducks. Our run is about 16' x 25'. We currently don't have anything in it, so it is all dirt (well lately mud)....except for around their pool we have patio pavers to try to keep the pool mess down.

 

[TLWR]

You are going to want to get something in there besides just dirt. Are they in there 24/7?
A layer of sand and some pea gravel would help and then you could clean it by hosing it out every few days.
If just sand, you can rake/scoop some of the poops.

If you have a place to compost, you can try straw and just rake it up and replace as needed. Or even deep litter method the pen.