Duck pool

[Featherlove23]

What is best for a duck pool? Right now they are almost 2 1/2 weeks old. They have access to water all the time. But they have out grown the medium sized container I had for them to swim in. I'll continue to find stuff big enough for them to swim in. But I'm still looking for long term when they are fully grown. Suggestions?

 

[rjmyooper]

I've been designing one for my area (Very Cold) which includes a double filter system and heat. The 1st filter (at the bottom) is a septic type sediment with a drain to the pump, then a large box type filter to a water spill, with two 8' stock tanks. May or may not work in the Winter, but I'm going to try.
Two issues are freezing temperatures and messy ducks.

 

[SilverBirds]

Personally, I use a large bowl. Ducks are very messy so a bowl is easy to rinse out and refill. You can also buy inground ponds but you need a heavy duty filter system to keep the water as clean as you possibly can.

 

[rjmyooper]

Even with the elaborate system I'm building, I will have to empty it every Spring for a thorough cleaning.

 

[janiedoe]

Hello, welcome to BYC!

 

[raingarden]

Since the birds have to be able to get in and out the pool surface should be near ground level. You can dig a hole to bury a tank. A less expensive option is to dig a hole and put in a flexable pool liner. A vinyl (polyester, PVC) liner is the least expensive. An EPDM liner is stronger, easier to work with and will have a longer life.

The pool will never be large enough or clean enough. Ducks eat a lot and then poop in the water. It becomes a much more rewarding experience after developing a strong stomach and some tolerance of filth

 

[ruthhope]

I use a Little Tikes sand pit [it has a lid] that I found at the side of the road. It is more robust than the blue kiddie pool that I previously used and has lasted longer being emptied and hosed down regularly than my original blue kiddie pool.

Finding that the green imitation turtle pit was better than my blue kiddie pool had been, I advertised on NextDoor for one for my son's ducks and within 2 hours of posting, I had been given a second one. Grandchildren outgrow sandpits and I found, by advertising the need for a duck pool, grandmothers like ducks too.

We cover our pools at night to stop raccoons fouling them. My son's needs emptying and hosing down every day -- he has a lot of soil that the ducks can get at and eat and then come to the pool to drink; his ducks also like bathing and splashing in the pool several times a day. My pool only needs emptying and hosing down every few days. the area round my pool is heavily mulched and so it doesn't get the dirty bills washed in it. My all-male flock are also not big on bathing: I have to hose them down to get them to finish off in the pool. Stinky boys!!!

There are two red bricks and a curved edging stone for the little crested to get into the pool, but she insists on getting in over the side like the bigger ducks. The pekin and muscovy do use the curved edging stone but have no need to as they are agile enough to get in over the side without trouble.

When they were ducklings -- they were given free access to a pool from 8 weeks -- they had bricks inside the pool to stand on to get out -- they didn't seem to need the bricks, but it was a safety precaution in case one should get water logged.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Love that rooster! Your ducks are beautiful too !!

 

[ruthhope]

Love that rooster! Your ducks are beautiful too !!

The rooster is feral. Mr Roo turned up a month ago and stayed.

They are my son's ducks: sweet girls. My drakes only go in the pool one at once and only after I give them a good shower with the hose.

 

[telandra2]

When a cement mixing tray became too small to fix all 6 ducks at once I bought a sandbox clearance last winter at Lowes ($50.)

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Step2-Naturally-Playful-Sandbox/5002161409

(edit: the link)