Duck Pool in the Winter?

[teisenhand]

I live in Colorado, and winter is right around the corner, my ducks have a bout a 1 foot deep plastic kiddie pool to swim in. Does anyone have any ideas on how to keep it from freezing???

 

[Kevin565]

Many people down here use water trough heaters for their kiddie pools.

 

[ChicagoDucks]

Last year we dug a hole for a 10 gallon rubbermaid container in our yard and covered it at night with a sheet of plexiglas. We'd have to break thin ice in the morning and replace the water a couple times each week. The warmth of the ground did a good job of keeping the water from freezing through, and the night-time cover helped hold the heat in. Worked pretty well, though.

I've thought about trying to build a passive solar heating system for a winter pond, but I haven't gotten around to it...

 

[teisenhand]

Digging a hole isnt an option for me beause they are on a concrete floor, and will the trough heaters get hot wnough to melt the pool or burn the ducks??

 

[new2ducks]

I live in Colorado too and this will be my first winter for ducks. The woman we got ours from uses mortar tubs and says they're great because they're beveled on the botom and study enough not to crack from the cold so when you empty them if there is ice it just slides out. Right now we have 1 mortar tub and 2 of the ducks can get in it at a time and 1 washtub from the Dollar store and then we do have a kiddie pool with a hole dug next to it and lined but I was just thinking that in the winter I'm going to close up the kiddie pool.

 

[veronicasmom]

http://www.birdbaths.com/bird-bath-accessories/bird-bath-heaters/150wattbirdbathheaterdeicer.cfm

We have used one of these in our duck pool in Maine for the last 10 winters. Unless it is extraordinarily cold, it keeps it ice free. On those nights around 10+below all we get is a thin film of ice.

 

[new2ducks]

As you can see, both my males fit into the mortar tub!

 

[Miss Lydia]

As you can see, both my males fit into the mortar tub!

I use motar tubs in the winter also, even my big gander can fit into it and have fun. I even use this

 

[new2ducks]

what an adorable picture!
Can't wait to get a new camrera so we can zoom and get better pictures!