Using sand in duck run instead of dirt?

[Cheyenne D]

I have had my ducks for about a year and what I have noticed is my ducks like to eat mud/dirt. this has lead to them making tiny holes everywhere! on the ground of the duck run we have wire (2inch by 3inch holes) to prevent predators from digging under the run. it doesn't help that here in Michigan we have been getting 2-3inches of rain almost everyday but the duck run is a completely wet muddy mess. would using sand instead of dirt work better? any advice? Thanks!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have had my ducks for about a year and what I have noticed is my ducks like to eat mud/dirt. this has lead to them making tiny holes everywhere! on the ground of the duck run we have wire (2inch by 3inch holes) to prevent predators from digging under the run. it doesn't help that here in Michigan we have been getting 2-3inches of rain almost everyday but the duck run is a completely wet muddy mess. would using sand instead of dirt work better? any advice? Thanks!

I'd use both, mixing the sand in with the dirt for better drainage,. I have a very wet place where I keep my old drake and a few of his ducks the sun never hits there so it stays wet and was pretty stinky, over the winter I had thrown old shaving out there to help keep it from getting to muddy well I could make bricks out of the mud mixed with the shaving they had it so drilled into and it smelled too, so 2 days ago I mixed some play sand into it raked it that day and again last night I think mixing the 3 kinds of stuff, dirt, shavings and sand has helped already. I had removed alot of the shaving before adding the sand . I'm thinking i'll add sand periodically when it starts to get yucky again.