Need help with keeping Cage dry???NEVERMIND

[Fudgie]

go to your farm supply store and get some (horse bedding) wood chip pellets or stall dry and pour in that area, it will soak everything up. and add to the flooring of the pen. The STRAW will retain every bit of water and not allow anything to ever dry up. wood chips would be better for not retaining the water. they would soak it up but would dry out in the sun. Straw will not dry out ever.

 

[goosedragon]

Place another pallet in there in a sheltered position and as far from the pool as posible. Place the bedding on the top of the second pallet so that it isn't wicking up moisture from the ground. In the long run you might want to tile or install other drainage under the sand base from the old pool site. On second look I see (I think) a pallet leaning against the wall of a barn/shed.
The dog house thing might work if there is enough room for them all to lay down in it. It probably won't work well for a nest site since all the females are going to want their own nest and may fight for the only site available.

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

If you want to address drainage, you would need to build a short retaining wall, say 8 inches off the ground, fill the bottom with #2 crusher run and then but stone dust or sand on top of that and then perhaps some mulch or dirt. That will allow the water to escape down through the dirt,sand, stone and travel out onto the ground which is lower.

And yes, a dog house would be good for them to nest in. I can tell you that mine stay out in the elements when it is raining, snowing, everything. Every now and then they will go in the horse stall or goat house but that I think is to look for food that might have been dropped.

 

[ging3rhoffman]

If I were you and only If you can...I would give them double or triple the space. I would use 2 x 4s and make a large square area then put sand in it them the swiming pool in that. The water will and should stay in that area. I would put their food in a different corner. You could build a sperate are for staw and sleeping. I am raising ducklings now and have their little swimming pool on a tray so when it slops out it is in the tray and I can dump the tray each day and refill their little pool. They will be released in a couple of weeks to a pretty large pond so I wont have the mess to deal with much longer. I hope it works out for you.

 

[Duck Keeper]

Quote:
I have a buff duck sitting on her nest in the dog house at this very moment!

The others seem to leave her alone, although occasionally the mallard hen will sit on top of the buff.

Crazies.

 

[goosedragon]

Second thought, is there already a drain system under the old pool area? Local customs and codes vary, here on our brick clay there usually is some system under the sand bed for an above the ground pool. (people splash almost as much water as a flock of ducks) If so the system may be clogged or just over used by your current heavy rain. I would check into that before I started the construction project suggested above.
BTW I agree with you, they should have a pool! You might want to look into getting a black plastic mason's tub ( used to mix small batches of cement using a hoe where a mechanical mixer is too much trouble) you can find them in the mason section of building supply stores (Lowes, Home Depot) Local Lowes carries 2 sizes the smaller is about right for one bag of Redi mix, the bigger will handle more. I suggest these as a replacement for the kiddy pool for two reasons the rectangle shape will fit in a corner with no waste space and they last much better than kiddy pools that usually sun rot in about one summer.