Duck/Waterfowl Runs/Pens

[cstacatto]

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I think this question may have been for me...

I have an old concrete mixing pan that my husband used to use on jobsites. It's smaller than I would like, holds about 20 gallons of water.

I do plan to buy a kiddie pool for them this summer, and I saw another thread on how to add a drain to one of those. Cool! That's what they need!

Yes it was, sorry for not posting your name next to the question.....Thanks for the info!!!

Right now we have an old pond that we fixed up, but can't get the filtration system working right, so every few days or so im out there draining it, shopvaccing the duckmuck, and refilling it....and it's not that small......

 

[realmofthewoodsranch]

Glad you started this thread. I am considering getting into raising ducks, but wasn't sure about the muddy duck pen of doom either. I have a 1000 gallon stock tank that I'm hoping to set up for them, and it comes with a drain already, I'm hoping to make a water feature with a filter (or three) to keep it clean. We'll see how that goes, LOL! Plus, I live in Alaska, and I'm not sure about giving the ducks a pond in the winter. I'll probably just have to "heat" it so they don't freeze. My ducks are gonna be spoiled, just because of the tank, they'll have the biggest area! Maybe I'll use some wire and separate the tank into two halves so I can have different breeds of ducks... Oh my DH is gonna love me even more now

 

[Wolf-Kim]

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They make heaters for stock takes, I think that would be sufficient to keep it from icing over too bad. Here in NC they swim even if it is frosted with ice. The ice never gets thick enough on the ponds to support their weight, so they slide out on the ice and then swim when it breaks. LOL If all else fails, just close the pond in winter.

If you put a filtration system in there, be absolutely sure to get the best pump you can afford and then clean out the filter very often. Ducks will clog a filter about as fast as you can say "Look! They like their new pond!" LOL

-Kim

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Also! Someone began a thread similar to this in the chicken coop section and they have actually tried the sand over pea gravel and had success at it! I am so glad!

THE PLAN!

When I go to build pens that is what I will do. Frame the pens up, probably with railroad ties. Then have pea gravel brought in by the tons, level it out and pack it down. Then have some medium-course sand brought in by the tons and spread it out and pack it down as well. Next I will try a little bit of topsoil, without packing it down.

Then before the duckies are allowed in their new abode, I will try to plant it thickly with an array of grasses and such. Fescue, clover, centipede, bermuda, and winter rye to keep it green in winter. I am not particular what plants that waterfowl like, I'm just going off what we plant for horses/sheep etc. I guess it's not about what they particular like to eat, more about pasture plants that can take a beating.

THE NEXT QUESTION

I suppose the question comes down to "What to do about a pond.." Although I like landscaped and well planned pens, a built in pond can be a nasty pond pretty quick. Sooo... questions and musings..

I know kiddy pools are the common route, but to do all this work on a substrate and plantings and making a pen look as natural as possible, and then slapping a bright blue tub in the middle of it...

Then in order to keep those suckers clean, they have to be dumped out and then refilled. Maybe I'm just picky! (LMAO) I have contemplated a concrete canal pond, but then I would probably have to worry about foot injuries caused from abrasions(leading to bumble foot) from the concrete....

I'm off to do some pond research now that I have a game plan about the runs.


EDITED TO ADD: LOOKY LOOKY WHAT I FOUND!

Ducks and geese will eat almost any plant, especially if it is the only vegetation around. The following plants seem to be the most indestructible and hardy if planted in a waterfowl pen:

In their pen: ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea), silverweed (Potentilla anserina), camomile species (Matricaria), large leafed butterbur (Petasites).
On pond edge: day lilies (Hemercallis), yellow iris (Iris pseudacorus), tall perennial grass euialia (miscanthus).
For nests: stinging nettle, butterur and smartweed
Protection from wind and sun: Low growing conifers, Chinese Juniper, Dwarf Pine

I'm getting excited now that I have a list of landscaping plants that the duckies won't use..

I was also spying Holderread's canal pond. It's cement lined and runs through all the pens. I think this would work well. Especially if we continue the "canal" in such a way that we turned it into a slow moving stream, with water flowing in one end and out the other. Where the water would flow would be the question. I would be awesome if this "canal" could be incorporated into a larger body of water, such as a natural flowing stream or a large pond. With the installation of a pump, I could pump water out of the natural body of water into the canal and allow it to flow down the canal and drain back into the creek or natural pond.

Does that sound like it would work? It's not tap water but it wouldn't be mud either!

Here's a link to the page with the canal pond! With iris and other plants from "the list" I think it could look very good!
http://www.holderreadfarm.com/photogallery/pond_page/ponds.htm

I get so excited about planning. LMAO!!!

 

[Dances with Ducks]

Sorry if I am missing something obvious, but what is the purpose of putting down pea gravel and sand under the dirt and grass? Just curious, (or maybe just dense).

 

[CityChicker]

The sand over pea gravel has definitely worked well for me (comparatively anyway). It is something recommended by Holderread's and does help with cleanliness/drainage. Obviously soil on top will affect that some.

I have never tried liter over the sand before (except under my shelters), but I may try that if I can ever make a decision on what to try. LOL. One thing I think definitely would help that I have not yet tried is to make an elevated base for my runs perhaps out of wood and hardware cloth. Over this, I would then put the pea gravel and sand as normal. I think that would make drainage even better. I like to be able to spray down the gravel/sand to clean.

Anyway, obviously, the sand prevents planting in the runs pretty much (another thing I dislike). I guess there is no perfect solution to duck keeping other than having a fenced acre for every pair.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

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Because depending on wear you live and the setup of your pens, it creates better well drained soil. For instance, if you live in a clay area, your drainage probably sucks because your soil it very compacted and it takes a while for the water to soak in or be evaporated. But I if you have sand and gravel, it gives the water a place to settle beneath the soil instead of on the soil. If you do not have good drainage, a duck run will often turn to mud.

Where I live, it is fairly swampy so our water level is usually high anyway. So when it rains for a couple days on end, duck pens turn to pure muck and it takes several very sunny days for that mud to dry out.

A thin layer of dirt and grass shouldn't impede the drainage too bad as long as the topsoil used doesn't easily compact(like clay). As for the grass, it's only purpose is to make the pens look nice. It drives me crazy when pens for any animal are dirt or mud, I don't know why it just gets to me. I guess to me it makes the pens feel barren and more cage-like and I prefer pens that are more naturalized. Watching animals in a naturalized, zoo-like environment has always been more pleasureable then watching animals in cages like in the older zoos where the 'enclosures' where bars and concrete or dirt....

Everyone has their quirks..

One of mine is this whole cage thing..

 

[Dances with Ducks]

I totally get your aversion to the dirt floor cage set up. Good thinking on the drainage aspect of the soil. I would guess you would need a fairly deep layer of soil or the plant life wouldn't be very well established, the ducks will certainly be pushing (and digging) the foliage to the limit. Have you considered putting down sod for part of it? Ducks love plain old grass and it grows thick enough it might help hold back the development of big dirt/mud holes.

 

[cstacatto]

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[CityChicker]

LOL, that is my plan when I win the lotto!

At least one pair of every species, each with its own acreage and pond! Maybe then it would *finally* stay clean! LOL