BackyardBreen
Hatching
- Apr 14, 2020
- 4
- 8
- 8
Hey all, I did a search here on BYC and couldn't find specific enough advice, so here goes...
I'm just setting up a duck/chicken run, and I'm starting a pond from scratch. My plan is to use a kiddie pool under sheets of pond liner, above ground, and surrounded by river rock for support and drainage. It will have a downspout leading to it from a rain gutter off the hen house/duck hut. I'm not too worried about actual dirt in the pond, because the run will have Douglas Nuggets at the end where their house is, and river rock and the end with the pond, so I'm hoping that they don't drag things in with them as much, but I am concerned about leaves falling in and the copious level of duck poop.
My issue is that I've never set anything like this up before, and I'm kind of lost as to how to keep it clean in a safe way. I was wondering about those muck pellets they sell for ponds that are supposed to be safe for aquatic animals, but I don't know if I can trust that claim with my ducks' health and well-being. I was also thinking of using a mesh bag of barley straw that I weigh down with rocks to keep it from floating.
My other issue is that I would really love to give my ducks a fountain of some sort, but I want to run it with a solar panel, and I have no idea which solar panel would be best. I also am lost as to which filter and pump system would work for a fountain, or how to even use it.
I'm basically just frustrated because every time I search the topic I get a million opinions involving two million products and everyone is trying to sell me something so I have a hard time trusting what they say.
I'm just setting up a duck/chicken run, and I'm starting a pond from scratch. My plan is to use a kiddie pool under sheets of pond liner, above ground, and surrounded by river rock for support and drainage. It will have a downspout leading to it from a rain gutter off the hen house/duck hut. I'm not too worried about actual dirt in the pond, because the run will have Douglas Nuggets at the end where their house is, and river rock and the end with the pond, so I'm hoping that they don't drag things in with them as much, but I am concerned about leaves falling in and the copious level of duck poop.
My issue is that I've never set anything like this up before, and I'm kind of lost as to how to keep it clean in a safe way. I was wondering about those muck pellets they sell for ponds that are supposed to be safe for aquatic animals, but I don't know if I can trust that claim with my ducks' health and well-being. I was also thinking of using a mesh bag of barley straw that I weigh down with rocks to keep it from floating.
My other issue is that I would really love to give my ducks a fountain of some sort, but I want to run it with a solar panel, and I have no idea which solar panel would be best. I also am lost as to which filter and pump system would work for a fountain, or how to even use it.
I'm basically just frustrated because every time I search the topic I get a million opinions involving two million products and everyone is trying to sell me something so I have a hard time trusting what they say.