My Muddy Ducks!

[Mimi13]

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

Mine is mostly in the shade so it doesn’t get hot. But you make a great point I had not thought of. It does get hot. I remember walking on it myself.

 

[Mimi13]

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 use field fence (smaller squares at the bottom that get larger as the fence gets higher) around our pasture and then again around our yard. It originally was meant to keep the dogs in the yard and the horses in the pasture. My goonies all can squeeze through the second opening, so I know they’d be able to go through cattle panel, which we have inside the barn. Thankfully they haven’t made it inside there yet.

 

[KansasChickensDucks]

Mine is mostly in the shade so it doesn’t get hot. But you make a great point I had not thought of. It does get hot. I remember walking on it myself.

Ok..that’s what I was thinking . They do have a tree and shade structure (not up today) but eventually the sun makes it way to sun the pool area late in the day

 

[Beaglegal]

I tried pea gravel, but my ducks got multiple cases of bumblefoot. My vet told me to remove it. I did, and all other hard things, and haven't had any bumbles since for 4 years now.

I know other people who use it and say it hasn't caused a problem. But that has not been my experience.

I move my pool around on grass. Dumping out the water helps water it and moving it keeps the grass alive. Works well, no mud

 

[KansasChickensDucks]

I move my pool around on grass. Dumping out the water helps water it and moving it keeps the grass alive. Works well, no mud

Yeah..they managed to destroy the grass so I’ll have to start seeding and blocking it off. Lol!

 

[Beaglegal]

Yeah..they managed to destroy the grass so I’ll have to start seeding and blocking it off. Lol!

Well I use the term grass loosely, it’s mostly low growing weeds, the duck resistant kind

 

[KansasChickensDucks]

Well I use the term grass loosely, it’s mostly low growing weeds, the duck resistant kind

Ha ha!! That’s funny!

 

[DuckyDonna]

Sorry I haven't answered sooner. Got real sick from a pneumonia shot.

I've been using pea gravel around my pool. I got the bags at Home depot for $4 and the little stones are not at all sharp on their feet so far at least. My goal was to not have mud in the pool.

I put down landscape fabric on their pool area then I put down some landscape timbers to frame out the area I wanted the pool in with plenty of room outside the pallet area so they wouldn't get to mud and get in the pool. Then I put down a pallet to put the pool on. I put the pallet and pool close to the run fence so when I bale out the pool it goes outside the run. Then all around the pallet, I put some flatish larger stones that I had laying around the yard, then the pea gravel spread all around it.

I get zero mud in the pool. Just duck poo and none of my 19 ducks have any foot problems.