How Do You Keep Your Duck Pool Clean?

[Northwest_Wannabe]

So for starters; I have no ducks, I am not getting ducks anytime soon, I've had ducks in the past. I'm not trying to make a plan for building but moreso just want to learn, and answer a question I've been thinking on for the past few months.

How we did it in the past was a kiddie pool, we dumped it when it got dirty, broke the ice when it froze, etc. Ever since I've been trying to think of a better way to do duck pools, something that maybe wastes less water, easy to clean, but big enough for a few more ducks, maybe a little deeper so they can dive more too. I can easily come up with cool designs, upcycled/recycled ponds, in ground, above ground, different shapes, maybe even something in the shape of like a lazy river with a little island in the middle.

But how do you keep them clean... is there any sort of pond filters that can stand up to the waste of waterfowl? Or do most people just do the 'dump and refill' method? What do you do?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I think a lot of people just dump theirs

 

[HeatherKellyB]

I just dump and refill once the ducks are ready to start their day. They enjoy billing around in the water that's been poured out so much! Once everyone has jumped in and bathed at least once, I will create a whirlpool in the remaining fresh water and flush out as much of the debris and dropped feathers as possible. This is a daily thing here.

 

[Runner duck mom]

We've been through several different setups before finding what works for us. We only have 5 ducks so this idea probably wouldn't work for a large flock.
We have a 45gal. cement mixing tub
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Argee-4...yPqAnuIjD1Dy4Qoo7GEaAodDEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
With a 1" bulkhead fitting and a wide hose attached to drain (cheap on Amazon).
I've found having their pool on a wood deck keeps them from dragging a bunch of mud and bedding into the pool.
This is what we've come up with...

They can't really dive but do have their occasional splashing zoomies in the pool.
Now that it's Winter we are emptying every other or 3rd

day. Summer time is every day...but I do fill watering cans with the dirty water for the plants and garden so it doesn't all go to waste.

 

[Quatie]

I always have a duck who gets into the pool and wastes about half the water. It sometimes seems like a competition who can waste more water . We seriously wondered if we had a leak for a while. We hooked our kiddie pool up with a drain pipe to easily dump it when we replace the water. I also have a second water area for drinking. It is a container with lid and holes big enough for my ducks to stick their heads in. It reduces their water waste for what I consider their drinking water.

 

[Teneniel]

We dug in a bathtub and fixed a drain to the culvert. In the rainy season I can go 3 days between drain and fills but in the summer, only two.

 

[Spiase20]

We had the sane concerns with the duck pool when we created ours. It's not perfect and can be definitely approved on now that this one has been built.

We build in unground pond, about 700 gallons that is inside their coop. Half the coop is basically like a deck but with floor laminate with mats on top to soften it to make it an easier clean, which connects to the pond.

The pond filter pumps the pond water into two huge plastic barrels which has different things inside to filter (there are drainage pipes attached to each so we can drain and clean the much that build up). This water then flows to various plastic tubs that has special stones/gravels and we grow plants there. Then it flows back into the pond.

However, the ducks make the water so dirty that I do a complete clean once a week. I have a pond vacuum that cleans the bottom and drain 3/4 the water to replace with fresh. It's not ideal and is lots of work. Would have liked to maybe have a even stronger filtering system.

 

[FernbergFarms]

We have this water pump and we hook it up to an old hose and an extension cord and it pumps out all the dirty water in the woods (you could probably use it in a garden) then we fill it with clean water and the ducks are happy! We have a kiddie pool and a big rubber tote.

 

[Beaglegal]

So for starters; I have no ducks, I am not getting ducks anytime soon, I've had ducks in the past. I'm not trying to make a plan for building but moreso just want to learn, and answer a question I've been thinking on for the past few months.

How we did it in the past was a kiddie pool, we dumped it when it got dirty, broke the ice when it froze, etc. Ever since I've been trying to think of a better way to do duck pools, something that maybe wastes less water, easy to clean, but big enough for a few more ducks, maybe a little deeper so they can dive more too. I can easily come up with cool designs, upcycled/recycled ponds, in ground, above ground, different shapes, maybe even something in the shape of like a lazy river with a little island in the middle.

But how do you keep them clean... is there any sort of pond filters that can stand up to the waste of waterfowl? Or do most people just do the 'dump and refill' method? What do you do?

I don’t think anything is easier then dumping them. It’s pretty easy

 

[D0PEY]

Get an extra fine mesh pool net, it picks up feathers dirt poo, you name it! It's an absolute need for anyone using kiddy pools. You get a nice arm work out, and a clear pool afterwards My kids get a nice clean pool each day, and you are saving a bunch of water. Every week or so you can empty it. Having a net that scoops it all, is a GAME CHANGER.