Winter floor for duck hut ideas-First winter

[DoodlesDuckies]

Hello. I have a duck hut that currently has pea gravel/gravel for a floor. Their shelter has a wood floor. Our winters are VERY harsh in north central Wisconsin (snow and very low temps) and I am guessing the gravel will be a complete mess by spring with not being able to spray off with water daily. Should I place plywood over the gravel for the winter and use shavings and shovel when I can? Any other ideas? Thoughts?

I also plan to put clear sheeting on the walls at least half way up for wind/snow protection. And pull their precious pools/water supplies-they are going to be SO mad.

Other winter questions...do I keep the same routine with them even during winter and let them decide IF they want to wander the yard during the daytime and have the option of their hut and shelter IF they want to use it? Are they smart enough to stay in shelter with poor weather?

At night they will be put in their hut/shelter like usual.

Pic- their hut/shelter in early stages-it now has rock around it and fenced in. But you get the jist of it...

I have read MANY threads about winter but didn't see anything about hut floor material or easy clean up ideas.

Thanks

 

[Jenbirdee]

Have you considered horse stall mats? i think they would be good over the gravel

 

[Jenbirdee]

my winters are not so harsh like yours but we have got down to 4 degrees i just throw some straw around on top of the ice and snow just in the vicinity of the coop so they can at least get outside a little and stand on the straw.

 

[telandra2]

We hit a record low of -20F last winter. My coop has a cement floor but it's shavings, straw, shavings, straw until it it warms up enough to muck out. Deep litter hasn't worked for me, but it might not be deep enough.

I do get some water seepage. I think in your case it might be better to leave the gravel without plywood for drainage.

I've been using woodchips recently and I like them better. Not as compact, seems to drain the wet more, hides the poop better, fun for ducks to rummage through. Plus its free from Chipdrop. I'm not sure how heavy it'll be to scoop out when it's a half frozen mess but I'm going to test a wood chip bottom layer this winter and that thickness might work well on your gravel.

Rubber tubs and a bucket heater keep the water open except for super cold stretches.

The birds choose to go outside every day, sit under the fir tree in snowfall or out with their feet and bills tucked in if it's sunny, and bathe if it's above 20.

 

[DoodlesDuckies]

We hit a record low of -20F last winter. My coop has a cement floor but it's shavings, straw, shavings, straw until it it warms up enough to muck out. Deep litter hasn't worked for me, but it might not be deep enough.

I do get some water seepage. I think in your case it might be better to leave the gravel without plywood for drainage.

I've been using woodchips recently and I like them better. Not as compact, seems to drain the wet more, hides the poop better, fun for ducks to rummage through. Plus its free from Chipdrop. I'm not sure how heavy it'll be to scoop out when it's a half frozen mess but I'm going to test a wood chip bottom layer this winter and that thickness might work well on your gravel.

Rubber tubs and a bucket heater keep the water open except for super cold stretches.

The birds choose to go outside every day, sit under the fir tree in snowfall or out with their feet and bills tucked in if it's sunny, and bathe if it's above 20.

My big thought with just going over the gravel is the clean up in spring. I have fake turf over some of the gravel now, sprays off good. The thought of putting anything right over the gravel puts my OCD in overdrive. LOL! I would be literally picking chips/shavings ect out of every single piece of gravel in spring.

I did get a heated dog bowl and a couple rubber tubs. And if my hubs don't flip out with the electric bill I do have 2 heat lamps I thought about using to keep water thawed.

I did get wood chips free at the local wood mill due to the VERY wet year we have had. They are a LIFE SAVER!!!!!!!!!!! I have those in the mud holes in their fenced yard and under their pools. The ducks like digging in the wood chips and I like that the mud holes are covered.

I have a feeling this will be a big trial and error this winter. Just like when they were hatched. Gather a lot of information from many people on here and google and hope something works. LOL!

In the end, I need a bigger facility= small barn. If things were just that easy....

 

[BrittKay]

My big thought with just going over the gravel is the clean up in spring. I have fake turf over some of the gravel now, sprays off good. The thought of putting anything right over the gravel puts my OCD in overdrive. LOL! I would be literally picking chips/shavings ect out of every single piece of gravel in spring.

I did get a heated dog bowl and a couple rubber tubs. And if my hubs don't flip out with the electric bill I do have 2 heat lamps I thought about using to keep water thawed.

I did get wood chips free at the local wood mill due to the VERY wet year we have had. They are a LIFE SAVER!!!!!!!!!!! I have those in the mud holes in their fenced yard and under their pools. The ducks like digging in the wood chips and I like that the mud holes are covered.

I have a feeling this will be a big trial and error this winter. Just like when they were hatched. Gather a lot of information from many people on here and google and hope something works. LOL!

In the end, I need a bigger facility= small barn. If things were just that easy....

You wouldn't need to pick out wood chips because they will decompose on their own very quickly due to the high water usage of the ducks. I wouldn't worry a bit about pin shavings over the gravel.

 

[DuckTapePalace]

You wouldn't need to pick out wood chips because they will decompose on their own very quickly due to the high water usage of the ducks. I wouldn't worry a bit about pin shavings over the gravel.

Is this something you’ve tried? We took the river rock out but will be putting it back in (much cleaner in the summer!!). Bedding getting stuck just ruined the little bit that we kept in for the water feeders. Maybe because it was straw? But now that patch is pretty much just regular, stoney ground. Maybe we should be turning and rinsing the rock. I dunno. But I do like the idea of putting mats on top for bedding over the winter and using wood/pine shavings instead of straw. Straw is the worst. Thinking of trying hemp this year as well.

 

[BrittKay]

Is this something you’ve tried? We took the river rock out but will be putting it back in (much cleaner in the summer!!). Bedding getting stuck just ruined the little bit that we kept in for the water feeders. Maybe because it was straw? But now that patch is pretty much just regular, stoney ground. Maybe we should be turning and rinsing the rock. I dunno. But I do like the idea of putting mats on top for bedding over the winter and using wood/pine shavings instead of straw. Straw is the worst. Thinking of trying hemp this year as well.

I had new ducklings separated from my older ducks in the pen and the area was the small part WITHOUT grass, and it was just dirt. I put a ton of the shavings in this area for the ducklings and all of it composted into the ground without issue. Straw does not do very well composting and takes a much longer time to do so. The wood shavings break down pretty quickly.