Consolidated Kansas

[rittert3]

We built a pond at my dads old house (and rebuilt it twice), it turned out really nice the last time. It always pumped water out through a watering can that poured into a wash tub that over flowed back in. We also had a fountain in the middle in the last version. I always want to close it in for a few small ducks, that was a no go. But we did see my escaped ringneck pheasant rooster drinking out of it a couple times. We used a 100 gal hard plastic liner (4'x3' diamond) the first 2 times once above ground then in ground, then the last time we pitched it for a rubber liner and built it bigger (8'x4' kidney 3' deep at one end and 2' at the other).

 

[chicken danz]

My first pond was constructed of concrete and was 35 feet long and 12 feet wide. It is in the back yard of the same house those pictures were taken. These ponds in the picture used rubber liner. When I started my business I started building using rubber liner. I actually still had a 15' X 50' roll on hand that I was going to build a mega pond here with. I used part of that to build my Mandarin pond I am putting in. It of course is going to be pretty simple since it is for the ducks and not so much for me. I hand set and mortared all the rocks along the pond edges both for these two ponds shown and the spring between. With the duck pond I am putting down concrete pavers and going to just set rocks on the edges. It will be a lot simpler. Plus I only plan to use rocks I have around here. I had a fiberglass cover around the back pond and grew water plants in there year round. I kept my tropicals in my greenhouse in a stock tank in the winter. I don't have any plants any more except some water lilies I keep in a stock tank.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Danz... WOW!!

That yard and pond is amazing! Wow I really love it! You did an amazing job! My mother in law really loves the Asian influence, so she had Hongs Landscaping build her a pagoda we can all sit in and then this water fall at one end that has a neat stream over rocks, plants, etc... and then dumps from another waterfall into the koi pond that her pagoda sits on. The pond goes under the pagoda a bit- so it looks like it's floating on the pond. You have to walk across a cute little bridge or go around the other side to get to the seating area. The kids love the fish. While that is something I would LOVE to have, she has them maintenance that pond a few times a year. The waterfalls stay on all year round too- even in the worst cold and ice. They put a stock heater in the bottom of the pond and when you look down there, all the fish congregate around it. I think I'll stick with my low maintenance bubbling rock idea.

Looks like you really enjoyed working around your yard and creating great landscapes. Some day, I'd like to spend more time on my landscaping too. But I'm guessing it'll still be another couple more years. This coop has to get finished, and then next year we're building the playhouse for the kids (to replace the set that the wind ripped apart) and putting up a large shed in the back to replace the other one. Next spring's "to do" list will be full. Plus, we haven't fully cleaned up from the storm disaster. There are shed pieces and playset pieces still everywhere. Most of it is piled up... but we really need to get it hauled off. But before we do that, I still need to salvage all the good stuff from them. Sigh.

It's raining today! I'm happy about that, for sure! I'm a bit sad, too, because we were going to use this day to finally get our roof DONE. That figures. It doesn't rain all summer long and NOW it decides to! I hope it will be a good soaking. Are you all getting this rain?

 

[Hawkeye95]

oh! Danz, I'm wanting to build a greenhouse, did you buy a kit or just scrap it together? I'm thinking of scraping it together. Finding what I can.. My idea was to build a frame for a shed and then either use the clear roofing panels for everything-- or find lots of windows. Plus, I see people tearing down their own green houses (or sun rooms) all the time and listing their pieces for sale on CraigsList. What did you do? What do you recommend?

 

[chicken danz]

I drew out the plans and had a local manufacturing firm custom cut and galvanize steel angle for it. Then I drove to Oklahoma city and bought regular fiberglass green house panels that I mounted on it. I used my retail license and bought an automatic venting window for it. Later I put in an air operated shutter vent and put in a squirrel cage fan with a thermostat to take out more air. Problem is I really needed two layers of fiberglass to give better insulation. And now I'm not sure where to get the stuff. My old fiberglass is so old that is it yellowed but it still works.
Prior to that I had two greenhouses which are a piece of cake to construct. You just use 1 X2's and build a lean to structure along the side of your house. The first one I had up on a balcony and had a door that went straight out into it. It was perfect. The second one I just built along side the house and made a walk through door. The 1X2 frame is covered with 6 mil clear plastic you staple on. You'd be amazed what a great greenhouse it makes. The down side is that you have to replace the plastic about once a year. This is something you can adjust to size but don't go to large or the frame will never hold in the kansas wind.
If I were going to build a greenhouse right now I think I'd pick up all the spare windows people are giving away or selling cheap that they replaced with energy efficient ones to get tax credits.
I sure wish I was still able to do all that gardening. I had beds all along the side of the house, the driveway the front, and the entire north side was a shade garden with a rock patio and a walkway made of bricks I got from the chimney when I tore it out. Now I have lots of weeds and only feeble attempts at gardens.

 

[chicken danz]

I had an awesome day today.

I went to the Gardner auction with the intent to take some birds to a friend of rittert3 and to pick up some diamond doves I traded for pheasant with Ozawkie Bantams. But of course it didn't end there. Daren said he thought the diamonds were both female so of course I had to buy a couple more to try to get a male. They are such awesome pretty little birds. I finally met Call duck lover as well. So great to meet you, Michelle.
And Tony, I ended up buying a pair of Mandarin ducks from your friend Don. He got a lot better deal than I did.
I bought two more young lady Amherst pheasant girls so now my male has 3 girlfriends. I met Vic and Ladonna and plan to buy a couple red goldens from them soon to go with my 2 girls. I was going to bid on a pair there but I was off in the cage birds oohing and awing

when they auctioned them off.
There were tons of chickens and ducks and they brought really nice prices. I am going to start going to that auction on a regular basis. I could have made a fortune today with my extra birds had I taken any. Had I been so inclined I could have even bought thanksgiving dinner! I have to say there was definitely some cream of the crop there. Lots of higher classed people with awesome birds.

 

[chicken danz]

Quote:
Also Loralee, If you balance a pond with plants and fish you only have to do maintenance once in the spring and once in the fall. There's a lot that goes into that equation. It's not dig a hole and expect it to work.

 

[rittert3]

Quote:
I'm glad to hear you had a good time, as I thought you would.

It is kind of a pain to sell there as you have to take the time and find/ buy the material to build "approved" cages, But if you are willing and able there is deffinatly money to be made and some nice birds to be baught. I only wish it was more often (I look forward to going when I can as much as any holiday, lol). It really dose make a bird lover with some spending cash feel like a kid on christmas morning! I really wish I could have gone,

I guess I will have to save my pennies between now and March 17th! Maybe we can meet then.

 

[chicken danz]

I love meeting people from BYC. I really like Gardner. I feel very good that they actually enforce the requirements for health testing, humane cages, and food and water. I too wish it were more often. I don't know if I can wait until March.
Ivywoods, your comment was halarious. My water feature lately has been a dried up overflow pond in my pasture, and a creek that is a quarter mile away. (Also mostly dry!) It was awesome to see rain last night. Now my ducks keep running to the ditch and I have to chase them out of the road when they start to wander. I Just can't be pleased can I?

 

[Katy]

Yay for some rain!! Almost an 1.25". Now maybe we'll be able to get our wheat sowed and it will actually come up. We planted a new alfalfa field a month ago and it's been so dry nothing even sprouted.....it's really too late now to get a good start, but maybe we'll luck out and get a decent stand going before it gets too cold.