Building a drain bed for the ducks small pool

[demryf]

Hi again,
We are just about to dig out an area in the enclosed duck yard for a small " watering hole." This will be a 20"x30" tub (15 gal) for them to play in. We have 5 ducks. I plan on digging out a 4' x 4' area and putting small river rock and pea gravel in there then placing the tub on top. I'm not sure how deep to dig and I don't know if this will drain enough? I hope to dump their dirty water right there so it's easier for the kids to clean daily. (They will have additional access to a baby pool outside of their yard but not every day.) Any suggestions or thoughts on this? Thank you

 

[OldGuy43]

Here's what I use and it works well for our 12 Khaki Campbells:

Duck Pond Filter & Shower

I will be changing the pump that I use because I've had issues with the one from Harbor Freight. Watch for the update.

 

[cosbackyard]

If you put enough rock below it then you might be able to drain it daily. I'd be concerned about it backing up eventually, though. The primary reason is that you won't just be draining water, but also the muck they make and feathers and any leaves, etc that blow in.

My solution in the past has been to put a drain with a 90 degree bend just below the hole and a pipe that leads out horizontally. That necessitates a different approach to building, though. I've had to keep my ponds above ground and build up around them.