My Muddy Ducks!

[416bigbore]

This is the muddy mess I currently have going on. I like to use the smooth indoor-outdoor carpet or the large commercial grade carpet squares with the hard rubber backing on them to cover the bare ground. Both are used material I had on hand.

I try to stay away from anything abrasive and or sharp to help keep from starting any foot issues. It's not the perfect solution for the muddy mess, but it sure does help and it is easy to rinse all the mud and poo off with a garden hose. I also like to keep extra tubs of clean water so they can flush and keep their little beaks clean.

 

[KansasChickensDucks]

Here’s part of their run. It goes around to the back that has grass. I don’t put any waterers over there b/c trying to let them keep some of their grass.

I guess it’s just extra muddy because of all the rain.
Thanks for all the tips!!

 

[KansasChickensDucks]

I temporarily have AstroTurf grass around one of their pools. This particular pool is on a pretty fair grade so the turf was also for erosion purposes until I can landscape around the final placement of the pool. The other pool in their run (again on a fairly steep grade) just was the earth/grass in the beginning, but it now has straw around it that comes from the duck house when I clean it out.

I’m gonna have to agree with @Isaac 0. No matter what is placed around the pool, the grade of the land needs to be fixed — not as drastic as mine, thanks Mother Nature — but a decent enough grade that all water will run off.

I’ve had my duckies less than 18 weeks, but it seems ducks are good at creating their own mud.

Good luck!

Does the astro turf get hot? I was worried about this because it’s plastic and say it gets hot.

 

[KansasChickensDucks]

Call some local tree businesses and see if when they are in the area next they will bring you some wood chips....we just had 8 trees removed they blew it straight into my run! I also have a decent size pile saved up too.
View attachment 2271474

Do you have any problems with bumble foot? The wood chips are soft enough?
Great pen..love it.

 

[KansasChickensDucks]

This is the muddy mess I currently have going on. I like to use the smooth indoor-outdoor carpet or the large commercial grade carpet squares with the hard rubber backing on them to cover the bare ground. Both are used material I had on hand.

I try to stay away from anything abrasive and or sharp to help keep from starting any foot issues. It's not the perfect solution for the muddy mess, but it sure does help and it is easy to rinse all the mud and poo off with a garden hose. I also like to keep extra tubs of clean water so they can flush and keep their little beaks clean.

Sounds good! We have extra waterers for them too. Lots of water . Lol!! Thanks for the tips!

 

[416bigbore]

Great pics ! What an Awesome place you have for your babies ! If it were me..... I would just haul in more dirt and slope the ground to the edges of your run. Maybe block off small areas of your run and start planting grass? I like to use cheap bird seed in my bare areas of ground and they all love it when it starts grow.

 

[KansasChickensDucks]

Great pics ! What an Awesome place you have for your babies ! If it were me..... I would just haul in more dirt and slope the ground to the edges of your run. Maybe block off small areas of your run and start planting grass? I like to use cheap bird seed in my bare areas of ground and they all love it when it starts grow.

Thank you! Thanks for the tips. I tried planting seeds but didn’t block it off so this didn’t go over well. . I’ll block off some areas...good idea.

We are going to have a pond built for them this year so hopefully this will make life easier for all.
I’ll leave the sloping to my husband. Ha ha

 

[sunnie7]

Do you have any problems with bumble foot? The wood chips are soft enough?
Great pen..love it.

Your set up is nice! What type of fencing did you use? We put up cattle panels and so far I’ve only had one escape but I think she got under in a spot that I’ve now fixed. Yours looks nice and tall!

I haven’t yet! It’s pretty soft though...I’ll keep adding mulched up leaves and grass clippings to it.

 

[416bigbore]

Thank you! Thanks for the tips. I tried planting seeds but didn’t block it off so this didn’t go over well. . I’ll block off some areas...good idea.

We are going to have a pond built for them this year so hopefully this will make life easier for all.
I’ll leave the sloping to my husband. Ha ha

I have even went to edges of our property and hauled in large chunks of sod with roots and all and just started placing them in all the low areas. That helps build up the low areas with dirt even though the ducks mow right threw the grass !

 

[KansasChickensDucks]

Your set up is nice! What type of fencing did you use? We put up cattle panels and so far I’ve only had one escape but I think she got under in a spot that I’ve now fixed. Yours looks nice and tall!

I haven’t yet! It’s pretty soft though...I’ll keep adding mulched up leaves and grass clippings to it.

We used cattle panels too. They can’t get out. It’s low enough to the ground. Our little bantam chicken can get out but that’s it.

Thanks for the tips! Going to start collecting all this stuff.