Winter Muck!

[Mrs.H]

My pool and water area in my run which I call the mudroom is really living up to it name this winter. It's a pretty big area but it's just not drying out at all!!!! I plan on putting in pea gravel this spring. What can I use until then? Straw? Fallen leaves (lol I have plenty in the yard). What concerns me about putting straw etc down is mold. Im in the south so one day it can be cold and next day it can get warm. Which I would think could cause wet straw etc to get moldy. Of course I will clean it out but would like something that can be layered for awhile

 

[chicmom]

Straw will become wet and gross. I've tried that. Why not throw a load of sand on top of all that mud?

 

[Mrs.H]

Straw will become wet and gross.  I've tried that.  Why not throw a load of sand on top of all that mud?

Do you use sand? Wouldn't that just end up washing away? Hard to clean once it wet?

 

[Amiga]

If you have oak leaves, I would use them. I find they keep odor away very well here. I also have about a 2 percent slope for the swim pan area, so water does not sit.

I have a base of pea gravel. I add sand sometimes, and occasionally need to muck it out - take off the top 2 inches of stuff, add it to the compost pile.

 

[fethr37]

See if you can get a load of "hog fuel" delivered to your area. Hog fuel is thick wood chips usually made of cedar. Lay down 4-5 inches and you're good to go for awhile. Cedar has a natural preservative in it,just hose down and clean with water every day or so to keep chips clean.

 

[Amiga]

See if you can get a load of "hog fuel" delivered to your area. Hog fuel is thick wood chips usually made of cedar. Lay down 4-5 inches and you're good to go for awhile. Cedar has a natural preservative in it,just hose down and clean with water every day or so to keep chips clean.

I recall some concerns about ducks and cedar, fethr37 . . .

 

[fethr37]

Really?? I would like to know what they are. I haven't had any problems yet in my duck kennal

 

[Amykins]

Really?? I would like to know what they are. I haven't had any problems yet in my duck kennal

This is what they are.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/655822/pine-and-cedar-shavings-are-dangerous

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080420082325AAFzbI9

http://www.cornerstonefarm.net/pcof.html

http://boondockers.sharepoint.com/Pages/Raisingducklings.aspx

So, yeah...might wanna get that cedar the heck outta there. The sites I linked recommend peat moss, it might be more absorbent and less mucky than sand, but I'm afraid I'm not much help here. Back on the farm we just used straw and I had to clean it out each and every morning. Because of course I did. What else are grandkids for?

 

[fethr37]

Quote:
I don't buy into most of that. We've used cedar chips for years without any problems. Just don't use with young chicks and ducklings and make sure they are used in open outdoor pens with plenty of ventalation.

 

[Amykins]

Spoken like 50 Ducks in a Hot Tub. Isn't that kinda like defending the use of arsenic-treated wallpaper in the school gymnasium since technically it's safe as long as the kids don't lick it?