Need suggestions for duck pen improvement - standing water and .. algae?

[Jlw0903]

This year has been especially wet (we got almost 3inches of rain in one day!) and the trend is expected to continue.
As you can see the duck pen is straight mud since the ducks don't allow anything to grow.
There actually was a boarder around the pool filled with rocks to help reduce wetness and increase frainage surrounding the pool but the ducks managed to make mud anyways and enough of it to drag it up and on the rocks covering them so completely that you wouldn't have known there were rocks. so that was completely ineffective.

We give them a few hours everyday at least to range the yard so they can dry off. And the other side of their run and hut is as dry as can be hope for with ducks

My concern is this standing water that seems to be growing algae... I cannot imagine that being healthy for my ducks. How can I manage this? Or even better, what can I do to increase the drainage/ keep things a bit more dry?

Not sure I have the means to do a full landscaping job to fully grade the pen which is also secured down really well with hardware cloth both underground and with a skirt to prevent predators that it would be a HUGE project to do any digging (tho if there is no other way...)

Advice, thought, pictures are all appreciated .Also a picture of my new babies that came yesterday for a little added cuteness

 

[Miss Lydia]

Can you take the pool out let them have the pool when they are out of their pen at least till you dry out.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

This year has been especially wet (we got almost 3inches of rain in one day!) and the trend is expected to continue.
As you can see the duck pen is straight mud since the ducks don't allow anything to grow.
There actually was a boarder around the pool filled with rocks to help reduce wetness and increase frainage surrounding the pool but the ducks managed to make mud anyways and enough of it to drag it up and on the rocks covering them so completely that you wouldn't have known there were rocks. so that was completely ineffective.

We give them a few hours everyday at least to range the yard so they can dry off. And the other side of their run and hut is as dry as can be hope for with ducks

My concern is this standing water that seems to be growing algae... I cannot imagine that being healthy for my ducks. How can I manage this? Or even better, what can I do to increase the drainage/ keep things a bit more dry?

Not sure I have the means to do a full landscaping job to fully grade the pen which is also secured down really well with hardware cloth both underground and with a skirt to prevent predators that it would be a HUGE project to do any digging (tho if there is no other way...)

Advice, thought, pictures are all appreciated .Also a picture of my new babies that came yesterday for a little added cuteness

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Can we see more photos of your entire setup? It's hard to make suggestions based soley on the one pool corner.
I use straw on the ground in my duck runs. It isn't a perfect solution but it's better than nothing.

 

[Jlw0903]

Can we see more photos of your entire setup? It's hard to make suggestions based soley on the one pool corner.
I use straw on the ground in my duck runs. It isn't a perfect solution but it's better than nothing.

No concerns with the straw getting moldy or anything? How often do you change it out?

 

[Jlw0903]

Can you take the pool out let them have the pool when they are out of their pen at least till you dry out.

I mean yes... But they would be so unhappy about that.lol. they would most certainly voice their complaints haha

 

[Miss Lydia]

Could you take out the pool let everything dry out then put down m landscaping material and river rock over top? That way the ducks wouldn’t be digging down into the ground around the pool because the landscaping material would stop it.
@Jlw0903

 

[shawluvsbirds]

No concerns with the straw getting moldy or anything? How often do you change it out?

With my set up i don't really have a mold issue.
I get in there and stir it around and remove the worst ever so often. I rake the cleaner stuff over where i take the badly soiled parts out and just kind of rotate it as needed. With straw, the rain or garden hose can kind of wash the poo off the top layer and provide some drainage.
But as i said, it sort of depends on your setup. If that area where your pool is can't ever dry out any, you may have mold/alge issues like you have there. Pea gravel might be an option.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

I have stopped putting pools inside their enclosures, but I'm able to let mine out to free range and swim for a few hours daily.

 

[BrittKay]

This year has been especially wet (we got almost 3inches of rain in one day!) and the trend is expected to continue.
As you can see the duck pen is straight mud since the ducks don't allow anything to grow.
There actually was a boarder around the pool filled with rocks to help reduce wetness and increase frainage surrounding the pool but the ducks managed to make mud anyways and enough of it to drag it up and on the rocks covering them so completely that you wouldn't have known there were rocks. so that was completely ineffective.

We give them a few hours everyday at least to range the yard so they can dry off. And the other side of their run and hut is as dry as can be hope for with ducks

My concern is this standing water that seems to be growing algae... I cannot imagine that being healthy for my ducks. How can I manage this? Or even better, what can I do to increase the drainage/ keep things a bit more dry?

Not sure I have the means to do a full landscaping job to fully grade the pen which is also secured down really well with hardware cloth both underground and with a skirt to prevent predators that it would be a HUGE project to do any digging (tho if there is no other way...)

Advice, thought, pictures are all appreciated .Also a picture of my new babies that came yesterday for a little added cuteness

View attachment 3856588View attachment 3856598

I would say A LOT MORE rock for sure. You can always put mulch on top of that as well. If wet is the issue, then rock sinks into the soggy ground, so you have to use much more than you believe you need. I would definitely say if mine looked like that I would be doing as I am suggesting because I don't really believe there is any other way to deal with it effectively specifically for drainage.