Ground Covering For Ducks

[llombardo]

well it happened, I left this morning and I had grass. It rained pretty good and now I have a bunch of mud with holes. They dig worse then any dog I have ever had. They must have had a field day because Sunny(Peking) is more of a brown color then white.

What can I use to replace the grass? I'm worried about them eating some of my options...lol. I am most likely going to fall on my butt trying to get to their water bucket. Complete mud. I was just out there staring at it thinking how the heck am I doing this safely? I'm looking for something that would be easy to take care of and not smell.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Not sure if it will work for your set up, but I put sand and river rock in the area that has the duck pool and it is great. You can just hose it off. I am debating doing it in their whole area. Just need to find affordable river rock.

 

[Lil Drake40]

River rock is a good idea.

 

[llombardo]

River Rock won't hurt their feet? I can put that in certain areas but how would they do theI foraging? They don't really use the pool. The area by their water bucket is a mess.

They are digging pretty big holes. I know the first home was a toad, found him in the pool looking at me. Would the ducks eat a toad?

I can not believe how dirty the Peking is.

 

[Lil Drake40]

River rock is round not sharp. They won’t eat toads. Frogs yes

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

River rock is smooth. So, it won't hurt. I have patches of grass, but mine don't forage there. They prefer poking in the sand and dirt. I have found river rocks all over the place, so they must carry them around. Lol. They can still poke their bills down through the river rock.
Can you set up areas with grass and section areas with the sand/River rock?
When my husband mows, they eat up the grass that gets into their run, but they don't chew the grass that is still growing in areas in their run. If I hadn't of had chickens on that side, they probably would still have grass, but my chickens destroyed it.

 

[llombardo]

So it looks like I'm starting the worse area and using a mixture of river rock and pea gravel(I think)

There is an area that the grass is just growing and growing they don't touch.

What size River rock do I use?

 

[Michael P]

I keep a thick layer of mulch over the free range area for the ducks. You can often get mulch for free from arborists who are working on trees in your neighborhood. They have to dump all those shredded limbs somewhere.

 

[llombardo]

I keep a thick layer of mulch over the free range area for the ducks. You can often get mulch for free from arborists who are working on trees in your neighborhood. They have to dump all those shredded limbs somewhere.

I actually do get free mulch but that is only in the spring, so next year I will have plenty.

I was worried about them eating the mulch. I can certainly get mulch and add it to the mix.

 

[llombardo]

Would this mulch work? It's wood mulch. Or do I need to get something bigger?