Geese, Ducks, Water, and Straw

[marvun22]

There is an identical thread here in the duck section: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/797334/ducks-geese-water-and-straw
I have a problem. I have fox around, so I leave my ducks and geese in 1 part of my coop and my chickens in the other. Either way, I have open water tubs so there is water around all the time. The problem is that my duck part of the coop is turning into Aqua Land. I exaggerated that a little. There is lots of dirty, wet straw. What should I do about this?

 

[Miss Lydia]

There is an identical thread here in the duck section: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/797334/ducks-geese-water-and-straw
I have a problem. I have fox around, so I leave my ducks and geese in 1 part of my coop and my chickens in the other. Either way, I have open water tubs so there is water around all the time. The problem is that my duck part of the coop is turning into Aqua Land. I exaggerated that a little. There is lots of dirty, wet straw. What should I do about this?

I am going to try adding sand to the areas around where the water is the worse, or I should say the mud, I am going to buy play sand since I know they will be rooting in this but I'm hoping by mixing sand into the shavings and mud it will help it drain better and hopefully smell better. Today I am buying the sand hopefully tomorrow I can start mixing it in.

 

[RURU]

I have the nasty mud and poo mix in my pens because there are dirt ground. I put pine shaving and straw and it gets so nasty. I would love to find a way where my pens would stay nicer without having to have big cement pads put down That would cost a fortune!!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have no idea if the sand will help, but it's pretty cheap so I am going to start off with 4 bags and see what happens, It should help it drain better at least. went out this afternoon and mixed the sand into the muddy mess that use to be part of my front yard.

Now it's the old folks home for aged Muscovy drake and a few ducks that visit during the day, but this part of the yard gets no sunshine so it never dries out, as soon as I raked in the sand the smell was down to just about zero, so we'll see in the next couple days after the Muscovy's have had time to work it in better how it will do for drainage and smell.

 

[marvun22]

I'm getting some sand today and I'll see what happens.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'm getting some sand today and I'll see what happens.

Lets keep this going because a week from now it will be interesting to see where it is and how it's doing. Be sure to get play sand because they put something in builders sand that's not healthy for our flock.

 

[LovedMyAlydar]

What if you put paver stones or flat rocks around your swimming areas? That way the water would splash on them and not on the mud. Sand would also help as well I would think.

 

[RURU]

I put some flat flag stone in my pens where they have their water and it keeps them from digging around it but the still make a nasty mess next to the stones. So that did not work.
Let me know how the sand works. Will be wait to hear...

 

[Miss Lydia]

So far the sand is doing pretty good, I have gone out and ranked in the evenings and the smell is hardly there. I think I'll keep a couple bags on hand and add as needed.

 

[marvun22]

So far the sand is doing pretty good, I have gone out and ranked in the evenings and the smell is hardly there. I think I'll keep a couple bags on hand and add as needed.

2x. Much less smell so far.