Hi Guys,
The enclosure that the chickens and ducks live in is a mud bath! I slip everywhere, my poor white duckies are brown as they think its great to play in it. It cant be good for them...I tried cornering off a bit to let the grass grow or let it dry out....they broke in and then got stuck in (stupid birds-just the chickens mind, the ducks are well behaved)
So. How can I stop their pen being a mud bath, can I put down bark chippings? Or will the ducks eat it and injure themselves?
I tried planting 3 plants in there to make it look nice.....they have eaten and flattened them!! Seems like they want it like that but its not nice because they cant lie down coz its muddy!!!
Thank you
Farming Friends Forum » Ducks
Chicken and Duck pen flooring....mud mud mud mud
(24 posts)-
Posted 2 years ago #
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haha sounds just like mine i had bark chippings in my first pen when they were young and they did dig in it but didnt eat it, what i have now done in my pen is put plastic fenceing over whats left of the grass, they can dig around the edge of the pen but not where the fenceing is, it also makes it safer for me to walk on
mo xPosted 2 years ago # -
Such a clever idea Mo, One could probaly reseed the grass with that down as they would not be able to get at the seed. Hope you find a soloution to the mud bath Laura.Mama
Goose GirlPosted 2 years ago # -
Im going to get some bark chippings too then! It just doesnt look very nice for them-it is also winter so in the summer there will hopefully be more grass and stuff! xx
Posted 2 years ago # -
Iv used wood chipping in my hen run wich has helped
But I lost 1 hen afta puting it down don't no if then hen eat the wood chipping or not my next plan is to put a roof over the runPosted 2 years ago # -
Aww I like them to be outside, I was going to get some netting to put over the top as crows seem to hang around and I dont trust them
Posted 2 years ago # -
laura if you are going to spend money on bark you could always re turf,it is ok to lay new turf at this time of the year then you could try what i have done as the grass in mine is growing up through the fencing now x
mo xPosted 2 years ago # -
a roof would cut down on the rain but with ducks just the sheer volume of water they bring out of the pond on themselves coupled with haveing to hose in their poos is enough especially in winter to quickly turn it into a mud bath
mo xPosted 2 years ago # -
so you put the fencing flat on the floor for the grass to grow through-then the chickens cant scratch it up and the ducks cant dig their beaks in so much??
Wow thats genious!!!!!!!!! Because the chickens ruin everything with scratching!!!!!! xxPosted 2 years ago # -
ahh now you say that im worried, ducks of course have flat feet so they are ok, you know more about chickens could they get their feet hurt by scratching and perhaps get the claws caught x
take it you can't see the photo x
mo xPosted 2 years ago # -
no I cant see the photo, most I cant see on this site, the odd ones I can see, like the geese. I could see those? Strange? x
Posted 2 years ago # -
The crows will be after the feed. I have to feed mine several times a day and they now come down to the house for it, as the crows, pigeons and magpies were constantly eating it!
Only one of my ducks ever bothers to see them off :(Sarah LPosted 2 years ago # -
HI laura,
I put bark chippings down they seen to just get mashed in with the mud,what a mess!!! what i now have done is dig dowm about 5" then put a weed sheet down then the bark chips on the top, so it can drain but they cant get to the mud, but make sure you get the childs play chippings, at b&Q they are buy 3 get 1 free,Lisa
xlisa xPosted 2 years ago # -
Don't understand why Laura can not see the pics maybe Sara can help. Glad I don't have the problems with crows and magpies, they are here but never come down for the food which I leave out all day . Don't think chooks could hurt their feet on plastic fencing but they would not like it as they could not scratch . Is it not possible to run your ducks and chooks seperate Laura as chooks do destroy the land . Mama
Goose GirlPosted 2 years ago # -
Sometimes when I get a particularly muddy area I chuck down some straw, this isn't brilliant long term, but it does help if it is really muddy.
RachelPosted 2 years ago # -
Hi Laura and everyone,
I think Laura can see the photos that are hosted on the farmingfriends server and if the photos have come from facebook or photobucket then Laura can't see them???
Hope you are all having a good weekend.
Mo I think the plastic netting you have on the ground is a good idea if you have grass and want to preserve it. This is the sort of thing that people do on grass for parking and walk ways when they have events.
Best Wishes
Sara @ farmingfriendsPosted 2 years ago # -
Iv just put some mech down that I got from garden centre .. Works a treat
Posted 2 years ago # -
Laura just wondering if you have done anything and if its working, i have another area i want to improve and don't know whether to use gravel or bark
mo xPosted 2 years ago # -
Hiya Mo, for the moment I have seperated the chickens and ducks, as the chickens were pecking the poor ducks all the time, for no reason and it was upsetting me. Poor duckies, so now they are seperate, and Im going to leave it like that for 2 weeks to see who are the culprits.....I have a feeling both sides are going to be as bad as each other to be honest! And then I think I will put some grass seeds down in the spring which is cordoned off as turf is very expensive. But I am going to put bark around the duckie pond for them to dry off on, or its just going to be a mud bath in no time if I turf/grass seed it all!
I wouldnt use gravel? as its not really very natural, suppose could have a gravel area? or around the pond, I like them eating the grass but they have scoffed it all!!! oh dear. xxPosted 2 years ago # -
We used rounded gravel by our pond and it works a treat. A bit expensive to put in all our muddy areas though (mind you, that would be most of the garden gravelled!!)
RachelPosted 2 years ago # -
Bringing this back up to the top because I wanted opinions on wood chippings as a surface for my chickens and ducks. This stuff is from an organic cider apple farm just down the road from where I live. Mostly it is apple tree shreddings with some mistletoe and what else ever grows around the apple trees. Is this going to be safe for my chickens/ducks - or should I think again. I don't want to use gravel as it will be far too expensive as the size of the run is nearly 200 sq mtrs! Any advise would be very welcome. Thanks. A
If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all!Posted 1 year ago # -
Hi Annier,
I can't find anything about mistletoe and ducks but I'm sure others on here will be able to answer that.I live on a hillside so when it gets wet it becomes like a mud ski slope. I use mulch for my chickens and ducks and have had no problems with either.
KTNo holidays, too many birds.Posted 1 year ago # -
Thanks Katy - that's reassuring, lets hope no-one comes back with anything negative!!
Love your signature by the way - applies to me too!!
If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all!Posted 1 year ago # -
I have ordered some rubber chippings to help with the mud problem :-)
Posted 12 months ago #
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