Muddy pen problems

[Gschmaltz]

I have a duck pen with four ducks in it. When I clean the pen there are giant water puddles and they take a few days to dry out. Any suggestions on what type of flooring I should put down? Also would taking it help with the smell? I am also get two chickens tomorrow so the floorings would also have to be safe for chickens. I was thinking maybe some gravel but I'm not sure?

 

[co10z]

My ducks walk on graval ok but I think that as all they stand on can be hard on there feet I find wood bark good chickens love ruting through it however wood bark does break down with time

 

[Amiga]

For the pen, there needs to be a grade - about 2%, so that the water runs out of the pen and does not puddle.

Even on a flat area, what you can do is dig a shallow channel on one side, and rake the pen so that it has a little tiny bit of slope toward the channel. Aim the channel toward a garden bed. If there isn't one, I strongly suggest you make one. It does not have to be large.

I have the day pen on a 2% slope, with a channel to raised garden beds downslope. Works great.

For the base of the pen, I add some chopped straw every few weeks, and use a cultivator tool to turn it from time to time to keep it aerated.

Stink comes from a lack of air. If you provide some straw or dried leaves or chopped flax fiber, and some air, you should get a nice compost with a pleasant aroma.

I have thirteen ducks.

 

[marcelineduckie]

For the pen, there needs to be a grade - about 2%, so that the water runs out of the pen and does not puddle.

Even on a flat area, what you can do is  dig a shallow channel on one side, and rake the pen so that it has a little tiny bit of slope toward the channel.    Aim the channel toward a garden bed.  If there isn't one, I strongly suggest you make one.  It does not have to be large.  

I have the day pen on a 2% slope, with a channel to raised garden beds downslope.  Works great.

For the base of the pen, I add some chopped straw every few weeks, and use a cultivator tool to turn it from time to time to keep it aerated.

Stink comes from a lack of air.  If you provide some straw or dried leaves or chopped flax fiber, and some air, you should get a nice compost with a pleasant aroma.  

I have thirteen ducks.

@Amiga oh my that sounds so lovely, would you mind posting a picture?

 

[frizzylizzy2003]

I too would like to see pics. We have 3 ducks and 8 chooks and there isnt one piece of grass left in their pen. I am using a kids plastic pool for ducks but so hard to keep it clean. The pen gets quite muddy also. They free range of an afternoon.

 

[susantylr]

We made our pens out of pvc pipe and chicken wire. To make it bottom heavy we added water to the pvc on thw ground side...which makes it botton heavy....when we get heavy rain and flooding the coop is light enough after letting out the water from the pvc on the bottom to kinda drag the whole coop over to some better land....today is my firat day on this site, i wish i knew how to add a photo

 

[susantylr]

 

[susantylr]

I guess i figured it out! Lol

 

[Kathy farms]

Nice set up and a big