The floor of a duck shelter

85. You have already learned that ducks sleep on the ground and if the ground where they sleep is cold or wet or dirty they may get sick.

Ducks sleep on the ground

86. So, you must be very careful to keep the floor of the shelter as dry and as clean as you can to keep the ducks healthy and well.

87. If you have a shelter which is on high enough ground for the water to run away, you can have a dirt floor.

A shelter on high ground can have a dirt floor

88. However, if the shelter is built in a low, wet place you will need to keep it dry by covering the floor with some kind of dry material.

A shelter on low ground should have a floor of some kind of dry material

89. To cover the floor you can use sand or fine gravel, pine needles, wood chips or leaves and give your ducks a bed of straw or cut grass to sleep on as well.

Figure

90. Change the floor material when it becomes wet or dirty and especially if it becomes mouldy. Mould will make your ducks sick.

91. With a flock of 6 ducks, change the floor covering at least once a month or sooner if it becomes wet, dirty or mouldy.

Pick a day each month, change floor covering once a month