Pea gravel substrate questions and results thread

[Miss Lydia]

Wouldn't sand be rough on feet since it's abrasive? always wondered about that.

 

[Enigmius]

I use pea gravel under my kiddie pool in my duck pen ... It is great except for it tends to wash downhill a bit when I dump the pool

Do you have a picture of the set-up that you wouldn't mind sharing?

 

[Duckiewuckie]

Do you have a picture of the set-up that you wouldn't mind sharing?

I wish I did I'll take one when I get home

 

[Enigmius]

I'm also curious about the size of the smooth stones.
I am assuming that the smaller the stones the better for their feet, but that particulate is more likely to get trapped. The larger river rock may be a little more difficult for the ducks to navigate on, but easier to flush away their debris. Or am I wrong?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I buy river rock at Lowes and put it around where their buckets are to discourage them mucking up the water but they still manage to muck it up. It's really easy for them to walk on though smooth and round

 

[Duckiewuckie]

Is it normal that they've completely trampled down all the grass in their pen and turned it to mud? It's been a very very rainy summer and my town is notorious for drainage issues . ..

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes.

 

[True Patriot]

If drainage is an issue then gravel or coarse sand as a substrate is ok. As a final product I have heard of issues with odor and maintenance. Personally I have not tried. Construction wise, a layer of gravel at least 3" deep (5-6" recommended) covered with a barrier cloth used in poor drainage areas will help reduce pooling by raising surface levels. Poor drainage still needs to be addressed with drainage tile or trenching. It would still be recommend to finish with another material, DL, shavings etc. The problem with sand/gravel in wet areas is it tends to compact into the underlying surface and the mud will return. I've read a lot of posts this year where people are having trouble with water in the run. Honestly in most cases it would probably be more efficient to move the run than try to mitigate the water. Success in drying an area is an expensive and labor intensive prospect to undertake. Almost every case will require some kind of drainage investment. Unless the water goes somewhere else the problem will continue. Regardless of what material the run is made with.

 

[Duckiewuckie]

Yes.

 

[PirateGirl]

Is it normal that they've completely trampled down all the grass in their pen and turned it to mud? It's been a very very rainy summer and my town is notorious for drainage issues . ..

I have not had grass in my chicken or duck run in over a year. They both killed everything pretty quickly after their current runs were built.