- Apr 22, 2014
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Well, this year we decided finances weren't looking so good for either the pond construction or the super quack shack. But duckies can't be kept happy on meal worms alone. OK, they probably can... So we decided for the time being we would get them a super stock tank 11 X 2 ft. We went and talked to our local feed store (only one we have). They talked to their supplier and we will be lucky if we can get one by mid to late summer. Well, that won't do... Our nearest other towns (all of them) are around 100 miles away or more and we don't have anything that could get a 400 lb 11x2ft stock tank here, for them to ship freight, you have to buy 3 or the packing costs more than the tank. Well, we will have to wait until our feed store can get one. But in the meantime... I got them a 12' by 30" cheapie pool and built a two way ramp out of PVC pipe so they wouldn't try to climb the side walls and scratch it with their claws. A couple of days ago, they knew something was up when I laid down a tarp and set up the pool. Greta and Pocahontas were the first on the scene to inspect the tarp.
They brought in Tevye and Snow for a second opinion.
Snow muttered something under her breath probably about the tarp being to clean to be in their yard. They called in the rest of the flock and the situation was soon remedied.
I didn't do a super job of leveling or put sand under it since no one would be walking on the bottom of the pool and I figured that the tarp would take care of the constant pressure of the water. The weather picked up while I was finishing the construction so I put about 100 gallons of water in it (about an inch and a half) and figured with 800 lbs of water in it it wouldn't blow away.
The next day I filled the pool and went shopping for parts to build the ramp.
The next day I built the ramp. Everything was ready... Just had to wait the hour or so before the wife got home (couldn't let them christen their new pool without her). I put the ramp up against the pool and blocked it with a 100 gallon stock tank. They were all curious what was going on. They had seen the pool now for two days, but from a duck's eye view, it was just a big blue building. I sat out and watched them. They darted back and forth from me to the ramp. They knew something was going to happen but not what. Finally, the wife got home. I removed the stock tank and we put some meal worms on the ramp to let them know where they were supposed to go. As each duck crested the top of the ramp and their perspective went from meal worms to pool you could see they were very happy. They practiced using the ramp going in and out repeatedly.
"Really... for us!!!"
"Wow! I can really spread my wings in this!!!"
"There's enough room for everybody!!!"
They brought in Tevye and Snow for a second opinion.
Snow muttered something under her breath probably about the tarp being to clean to be in their yard. They called in the rest of the flock and the situation was soon remedied.
I didn't do a super job of leveling or put sand under it since no one would be walking on the bottom of the pool and I figured that the tarp would take care of the constant pressure of the water. The weather picked up while I was finishing the construction so I put about 100 gallons of water in it (about an inch and a half) and figured with 800 lbs of water in it it wouldn't blow away.
The next day I filled the pool and went shopping for parts to build the ramp.
The next day I built the ramp. Everything was ready... Just had to wait the hour or so before the wife got home (couldn't let them christen their new pool without her). I put the ramp up against the pool and blocked it with a 100 gallon stock tank. They were all curious what was going on. They had seen the pool now for two days, but from a duck's eye view, it was just a big blue building. I sat out and watched them. They darted back and forth from me to the ramp. They knew something was going to happen but not what. Finally, the wife got home. I removed the stock tank and we put some meal worms on the ramp to let them know where they were supposed to go. As each duck crested the top of the ramp and their perspective went from meal worms to pool you could see they were very happy. They practiced using the ramp going in and out repeatedly.
"Really... for us!!!"
"Wow! I can really spread my wings in this!!!"
"There's enough room for everybody!!!"