Duck Run Question...

[DoodlesDuckies]

First year duck mom to 6 ducks and one distinguished gentleman drake. I have a 6x12 run I will be closing off with plywood soon. (I am in northcentral WI-it gets COLD here). My question is with the flooring....for the summer it was built with 8" of gravel for the floor and I put some turf on it. Easy cleaning mindset-sprays off wonderfully daily.

This winter my thought was securing landscaping fabric over the gravel and placing horse mats over it-then straw/pine shavings over the mats. Again, going for EASY cleaning. The landscaping fabric is so the straw ect doesn't go into the gravel and make a mess for me and still maintain airflow from the mat thru the gravel.

Here is the hut when I first got it, so the open area will be closed off-with vents in top by roof. There is also a small shelter to the left. I planned on 4 ducks and well, plans changed I guess when they all hatched.

Another disclaimer...they do not hang out in here all day. They have the run of a 5 acre yard. In winter about an acre will be fenced off for them and will be in this hut over night and access to it all day if they wish.

Thoughts??

Thanks

 

[sourland]

Sounds like a workable plan. Will any door/opening face away from the prevailing winter wind?

 

[DoodlesDuckies]

Sounds like a workable plan. Will any door/opening face away from the prevailing winter wind?

I do have a walk in door on the west side (bad idea) but I am looking into an automatic door for on the east side. Just not sure which door to buy.

 

[WoockyDucks]

First year duck mom to 6 ducks and one distinguished gentleman drake. I have a 6x12 run I will be closing off with plywood soon. (I am in northcentral WI-it gets COLD here). My question is with the flooring....for the summer it was built with 8" of gravel for the floor and I put some turf on it. Easy cleaning mindset-sprays off wonderfully daily.

This winter my thought was securing landscaping fabric over the gravel and placing horse mats over it-then straw/pine shavings over the mats. Again, going for EASY cleaning. The landscaping fabric is so the straw ect doesn't go into the gravel and make a mess for me and still maintain airflow from the mat thru the gravel.

Here is the hut when I first got it, so the open area will be closed off-with vents in top by roof. There is also a small shelter to the left. I planned on 4 ducks and well, plans changed I guess when they all hatched.

Another disclaimer...they do not hang out in here all day. They have the run of a 5 acre yard. In winter about an acre will be fenced off for them and will be in this hut over night and access to it all day if they wish.

Thoughts??

Thanks

Hi! Did you end up trying the landscape fabric + straw combo over the pea gravel for the winter? Curious to hear how it worked in action.

 

[DoodlesDuckies]

Hi! Did you end up trying the landscape fabric + straw combo over the pea gravel for the winter? Curious to hear how it worked in action.

Hello. Well, I will start with it has been a LONG winter!!! And now it is a sloppy, muddy rain spring mess here.

I used the fabric over the gravel and put a piece of thick rubber I got from work over that. Then straw for bedding and full bales stacked for insulation. I went deep method and on "warm" days...ya know a sunny 15 deg day, I would clean the hut fully and bed with fresh straw. A few weeks ago I took the walls down and cleaned the hut-removed all the bales and am back down to gravel with some turf over in a small area. In all honesty, in Wisconsin, I am not sure there is an easy answer for any of this. If I had a barn it would be a different situation. I did the best I could, made sure they had food, water, shelter with a dry place to sleep. Everyone survived and I learned a few changes for next winter.

In short, it worked and kept most of the straw off the gravel for warm season to begin.

Renee