What do you think? (Coop questions)

[LLCoyote]

Hey guys, I have a large, horse sized stall I keep my horses in. I'm wondering for those of you that have specifically built coops (that look a bit smaller) would say that's an easier way to keep waste-wise. How often do you have to clean it? Is it a major ordeal or is it easier since it's in a coop? Do any of you have a coop with system for easy waste disposal? I thought they would love the large pen but it gets harder and harder to clean on me.

Oh and as a sort of unrelated question, would it be too uncomfortable to pour cement into the stall bottom if I covered it with bedding? The mud mixes with poo and bedding and it's really hard to get it up. If it hurts them I won't do it, but I thought I'd ask

 

[duckdad]

Well,
I don't have a coop built as I use a different shelter system since I only have a pair and this is a suburban setting.
But, whatever you do does have to be cleaned often, daily depending on the number of ducks and the size of the place. You simply cannot afford to let the poo build up because of disease, mold and insects. I have found that a habitat based around a water hose spraying works best. Most coops can be sprayed out or have floors that can be pulled or sprayed off. There is no real solution to outdoor ducks in pens/coops without a water hose...

And mine have their outdoor pen on the patio. On concrete. They don't mind one bit. The pond ducks wonder all around the neighborhood (condo community, townhouses) on the sidewalks going from door to door looking for lunch & dinner...They have a route they follow each and everyday. They come to my house for left overs...what my ducks won;t eat I give to the pond ducks. Everybodies happy.
I place something down for bedding...I was using a tarp covered with old towels but that was a LOT of laundry washing 3 to 5 poo towels EVERYDAY and changing the base tapr every 2 or 3 days with a washdown of bleach at least each week to prevent mold and fungus. Recently I switched to a rubberized painters tarp on bottom, less leakthru, and a towel (one) on top for bedding; they also got my heating pad covered by an old pillow case for the colder nights...( I got a new one for Christmas)

Many folks use straw, some use chips or other forms of small animal bedding. Whatever you use, it has to be able to be either washed down OR economical enough to change every couple days....

A hard floor is a good upgrade. They will never see a dry patch of dirt for a pen space...ducks are wet, messy, nasty and disgusting. They are also at the head of the "cute" list and get away with all that stuff easily.

Hope this helps,
and Merry Christmas !

 

[Amiga]

The floor in my duck house is plywood over 2'x4's, covered with vinyl flooring that goes several inches up the wall and is trimmed with 1"x3" wood to prevent duck droppings from getting behind and under the vinyl.

The 4'x8' house is three season home to nine Runners (now plus two Buffs). Because I give water and food in the attached porch, I don't need to hose it down, just stir the foot or so of shavings at least every other day, and change out a few inches of straw that I give them so they can make little nests when they're laying.

The veranda has sawdust over sand over half inch hardware cloth. Maintenance on that is using a cultivator to turn a few inches of sawdust every day or two and keep it aerated. After a few weeks I shovel out the enriched sawdust and it goes on the compost. No hosing necessary.

So if you're thinking of building a coop/house, those are ideas I'd offer for you to consider.

 

[Going Quackers]

Mine is a small mini barn.. the floor is wood and i have stall mats put on top... i clean the barn everyday, i just keep a wheelbarrow parked in front of the barn to easily dispose of the mess.. i use a stall fork just like i use for my horses lol