question about ground material for duck/chicken run

[yomama]

Quote:
Our ground is so hard and filled with rock, any time we want to dig, even a small hole, we have to use a pick axe. ( we live out in the country, and our neighborhood is in the area where there used to be a rock quarry) Although I think that is a great idea, I think it would be very very hard.

 

[HottentotTeal]

I have a dirt mixture (sand/silt/clay) and pea-sized pebbles and larger polished jade rocks in my aviary.

My ducks haven't eaten the rocks, but they do use the sand to help when they are eating. they use it like grit.

I would recommend dirt/sand for the main areas and then pebbles around the watering areas.


Also, wherever you place pebbles and rocks, unless you plan to top off the rock area every so often, you may want to lay down landscape fabric so the rocks don't sink into the sand or ground. Over time, especially in wet/rainy weather, it will cause the rocks to sink into the ground. Landscape fabric can prevent this. Of course if you put a ton of rocks and i mean several inches, probably more than 3, you can probably get around that problem.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

the gravel wont hurt them - you can get the rounded pea gravel.. but really we have both and it doenst matter (apparently) to them either way. figure out your drainage first, dig the trenches so it makes sense for how the yard lays, put in the tile (drain pipe thingy), and then bring in the gravel. if its really wet you could put some big rocks for them to stand on.

as far as what happens if they eat it? they have to eat something like gravel and will use it like grit. my setting mommas run right out and eat small rocks the first thing in the morning.

good luck!

 

[MrsDuck]

Quote:
It smells way better than it did before the gravel!! It doesn't get *that* hot here (Western WA) very often, and the run is in the shade after about 2PM, so we haven't noticed a problem with smell. I guess we're going to have to see how it is after a longer time. I am hopeful.

 

[yomama]

Thanks for all the advice! I think I am going to go with a good layer of sand, then a good layer of pea gravel. I'm still wondering if anyone uses lime (and what it is for)?, as well as if peagravel gets hot to the touch in the summertime?

 

[brenna]

Our ducks have pea gravel around the perimeter of their pond as well as in their run to keep the muddiness down. The gravel around their pond gets direct sunlight for much of the day. It never gets all that hot, mostly because the pea gravel is largely white, light pink and orangey tones that don't absorb much sunlight/heat. It will get warm, but nothing like an asphalt driveway or similar.

I've not used lime, so I can't help you there.

 

[biddyboo]

We began with dirt/grass, tried straw in fall and winter which was a messy smelly mucky disaster. We finally leveled out the yard (20 x 20) as well as we could by hand and then hauled in about 4 inches of gravel to spread over it all...MUCH better. Occasionally I have to scoop out soured feed that they seem to flick around when eating, but that is minor. I refresh the gravel over that. We have spread lime occasionally and rake that into the packed gravel and I rake the surface lightly every couple of weeks to get rid of obvious poop piles and veggie rinds--to keep down flies. We are much happier with the gravel surface-quickly draining. ~G

 

[Blooming chicks]

Biddyboo--sounds like the perfect set up. Any pics?

 

[yomama]

Quote:
Is it the regular kind of lime that you can get to spread on your lawn?

 

[bluebird]

We have two bantam cochins, one white call and one mandarin, and four pigeons who all live together. We covered the ground in their fenced enclosure with about 4" of a sand and paver base mixed together. Works great and dries fast. I periodically just add more to it, add some DE, and mix it up. They free range inside our fenced back yard during the day.