- Mar 30, 2014
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We have a creek that runs most of the year and starts on our property. We have found three other springs in various parts of our 25 acres so we are guessing there must be some little ones sprinkled in the hills of our ravine? We have another creek running through another part of the property we intend to get some bluegill stock from to breed in a pool later so we can keep this creek stocked with minnows for the ducks to chase.
We are trying to figure out how to do a 8-16 foot wide by however long covered run.
My first thought is to take rebar and join cattle panels in a gothic window shape and add on as I can afford it. Embed them into the dirt a foot or so and use hardware cloth for the first three feet up or so?
We are going to dig out holding pools up and down and plant wetland plants in between to keep the water semi clean. It starts out as two creeks and narrows into one and eventually we would like most of the single section covered. Its big so its not a possibility now. We have more rocks and sand than any one person could want if that helps and our other creek from april onward has about 100 to 150 minnows in a gallon bucket if you scoop it out after letting it sit a few minutes. The water glitters from them all because the water is not deep enough year round for larger fish predators.
We intend to get eggs, butcher for meat and my kids intend to show for 4H so we will likely have one duck breed and one chicken breed unless we figure out how to separate into sections to prevent mixing. Chickens may not be in here depending on how many car port frames and green house frames we find as we intended to use those mainly for chickens in the pastures.
Does anyone here have anything set up that is similar? Best materials? We have tons of t posts from the extra horse fencing and about 130 feet of 5 foot tall heavy gauge chain link from the old security fence at the maytag plant. We can get short lengths of rebar cheaply at the metal scrap yard. We have thousands of rocks. round or squarish round from fist size on up to can't move it without the skid loader size. We were able to throw up a dam in a matter of hours from rocks that very quickly backfilled with clay and leaves and such afterwards holding water. We are in central Iowa. We really would like our costs lower as its mostly for the kiddos enjoyment and theres no guarantee that past our three older kids anyone will have an interest.
We are trying to figure out how to do a 8-16 foot wide by however long covered run.
My first thought is to take rebar and join cattle panels in a gothic window shape and add on as I can afford it. Embed them into the dirt a foot or so and use hardware cloth for the first three feet up or so?
We are going to dig out holding pools up and down and plant wetland plants in between to keep the water semi clean. It starts out as two creeks and narrows into one and eventually we would like most of the single section covered. Its big so its not a possibility now. We have more rocks and sand than any one person could want if that helps and our other creek from april onward has about 100 to 150 minnows in a gallon bucket if you scoop it out after letting it sit a few minutes. The water glitters from them all because the water is not deep enough year round for larger fish predators.
We intend to get eggs, butcher for meat and my kids intend to show for 4H so we will likely have one duck breed and one chicken breed unless we figure out how to separate into sections to prevent mixing. Chickens may not be in here depending on how many car port frames and green house frames we find as we intended to use those mainly for chickens in the pastures.
Does anyone here have anything set up that is similar? Best materials? We have tons of t posts from the extra horse fencing and about 130 feet of 5 foot tall heavy gauge chain link from the old security fence at the maytag plant. We can get short lengths of rebar cheaply at the metal scrap yard. We have thousands of rocks. round or squarish round from fist size on up to can't move it without the skid loader size. We were able to throw up a dam in a matter of hours from rocks that very quickly backfilled with clay and leaves and such afterwards holding water. We are in central Iowa. We really would like our costs lower as its mostly for the kiddos enjoyment and theres no guarantee that past our three older kids anyone will have an interest.
