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Hello

How do the rest of you cope with mud in your runs?

This time of the year is especially wet and half of the run just turns to mud.

I have been bringing in tussocks of couch grass, if only to make it more pleasant for them.

Muddy Duck Run.jpg

Duck Run Tussocks.jpg

Edited by PeskyWabbits
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Picked up some more chippings. This and the cold dry weather have made it much more pleasant for them. This is Errol in the foreground. I have done some swapping to combat interbreeding.  

Obligatory Snow Shot. Snow and ice firms the ground up nicely. Yes, wood chips will bring their own problems but at least there should be less mud. Now I have a local source, at least I can

Just two observations... 1, I can't believe anyone would keep poultry in those conditions. 2, I can't believe anyone would be stupid enough to post pics Of it.

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In all fairness that's what ducks webbed feet do, an it's what's put me off keeping them as we have clay soil here.

if you go on gumtree/pets4homes your see chicken pens like that maybe not as deep mud but similar.

only thing I would suggest is shovel it out best you can , get coupe cheap bales of straw so you can use it as compost when it's done 

possibly reduce number of ducks in there.

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I filled my chicken run with wood chip ... any tree surgeon will dump as much as you want on you as it saves them having to get rid of it ... it packs down nice and tight and stops any wetness or mud ......

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Ok, lets start again.  People may have got the wrong idea.

The duck run is 100 feet by 12 feet wide by about 6 feet high. It is made from builder's barriers but with a mesh roof and has a 2 foot deep channel all the way round it, filled with big stones.  There is also sheep netting laid horizontally round the outside, pegged down with shelf angle brackets. 

The land slopes slightly, meaning that moisture gravitates to one end.  I didn't think about drainage when I built it, just keeping orange monsters out.  I did run fine mesh round the bottom to dissuade rats and weasels but obviously this wasn't enough.

There is one 6 foot by 4 foot shed with straw in and an ex-rabbit hutch, with straw and a hen house with the floor removed, so they do have dry shelter.

Then there are a few tables and pallets for them to sit on or under.

The bog, is really just the last 12 x 12 feet. It is pretty deep there though.  Normally if it rains, it gets a bit muddy but then dries up.

This season, it hasn't dried up and has got worse and worse.

I have previously tried digging in straw but you just get a big compost heap that is difficult to shift.

So, today, I dug out as much mud as I could. Then I dug a drainage ditch along the lowest point and attempted to make a trough into it.  

The rest of the run is a bit wet but no more than puddles really. Definitely firm soil underneath.

I have put some more couch grass in today, to attempt to firm it up.

I will look for some bark chippings as has been suggested as I think these are the long term solutions.

There are 15 ducks and one goose in there at present, so I think that is enough room. I also have a quarantine run of 12 x 36 feet. There are 2 Muscovies in there at present, I just can't get them to mingle.

Thank you for all the suggestions. 

Pesky

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There won't be any poultry going in there. Too much water and the ducks don't like hens.

The tables and pallets change as the year goes by and subject to conditions. I have 2 water butts in there and a few other containers. 

Let's have a look at yours though I am sure we all have our ways of doing things.

 

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On 2/4/2018 at 01:29, Brigzy said:

Just two observations...

1, I can't believe anyone would keep poultry in those conditions.

2, I can't believe anyone would be stupid enough to post pics Of it.

 

On 2/4/2018 at 20:33, Brigzy said:

It's not just the mud, mate, that's pretty much unavoidable this weather, but you could shovel it out and put straw or chippings down, but looking at those pics, it looks more like a junk yard than a poultry pen !

Do you keep ducks?

No one asked for your observations...

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On ‎2‎/‎4‎/‎2018 at 01:29, Brigzy said:

Just two observations...

1, I can't believe anyone would keep poultry in those conditions.

2, I can't believe anyone would be stupid enough to post pics Of it.

its an assault course, for training his ducks to enter ninja duck warrior uk

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