It smells because it's wet. Can you hang the hens' feeder inside the coop and feed the ducks elsewhere?

Another solution might be to build a range feeder - a roofed, open-sided structure just high enough to hang the feeder at an appropriate height. If you put it on an old pair of thrift-shop skis you cold easily move to to a new patch of ground if it gets stinky... and the roof will help to keep the feed dry.

You may be giving them more than they need. If I find that my birds are leaving grain about to get damp, I cut back until they clean it up. Partly to prevent waste and odours and partly because excess feed attracts vermin.

If moving the feeding area, or separating the hens and ducks won't work, then what about scattering cedar shavings under the feed area? If that's still too messy, then another option would be to make a raised area/feeding pad of sand, which would allow for drainage, stay less muddy, and allow you to rake it clean once or twice a week. I do think that if you can move the feeding area periodicly, maybe feed the two types of fowl separately, and make sure that you aren't over-feeding them, there would be less of a smell, maybe even none.

those all sounded like good ideas, but I have read on this forum not to use cedar shavings as some brands make the birds sicken and die. I use pine shavings to help keep the smell down in side my hen house but it is not damp so we don't exactly have the same problem, I tend to wander,S the point is that I haven't had a problem with the pine shavings making my hens sick.

CI

Pine shavings are okay.

Cedar shavings are controversial. I have heard that the problem is that they react badly with the ammonia produced by animal droppings, but I am no expert on the subject.

I wouldn't think that any natural product would cause a problem out of doors where any noxious -- or obnoxious! ;) -- odours could disperse.

A tip I picked up on another forum (HT - rabbits) is to use peat moss to absorb odours. I have started using it in the waste collection tarp under the cages of my two indoor rabbits (Angora-furred bunnies who popped up in a summer litter of meat rabbits) and even after a whole week and two spilled water crocks... there is no odour problem. Totally amazing... and the combination of rabbit poop and peat moss should be the BEST EVER as a fertilizaer.

Thank you all for your helpful ideas! I did build an outdoor sheltered area with the feeder hanging from it. and if it stays dry,this should solve the problem,plus I lowered feed amounts. thanks so much,in the spring I think sand under there would be a good idea...all the best! xo