My first Fox attack that ended in a kill

[Steemroo]

Yeah, bass, blue gill & channel catfish. All good eating. Too hot for trout, sadly, but some do a winter trout plant, feed, & seine and freeze before water warms too much.

Tilapia work there, but I don't like them. Except as bass food maybe.

Oh! Pond - if you can raise fat head minnows, they make good protein for chickens. If you do it right eggs won't be fishy either.

 

[Shellz]

I think I have some bullhead minnows. Pretty sure, but they are overtaken by all the creek chub. Also, the previous owner thought it would be great to put in shiners, those silver minnows. More for the Great Blue Herons and Kingfishers to eat!

My big pond is probably about a 1/2 acre with the little one being 18ft around. Full of silt right now. Ugh.

We were considering a home on a larger lot before a country property. Glad to have some elbow room! Too bad neighbors are within ear shot, eh? As long as you can TCB!

I just found out my dad's folks had chickens growing up. They raised Minorcas way back then. Then he tells me as a teen, he worked for a hatchery. Interesting. Guess chickens run in the family!

 

[Mygirls20]

Steamroo I have 2 acres All on a rocky slope lol a pond might be just to much work. I am on a well that produces 7 gallons a min and didnt dry out after a 2 hour test. I have the water to do it just not the energy lol. I am also worried that if I bring in a water source like that I will have more problems with animals. Co is pretty dry and it seems whenever someone puts out a watering hole animals go crazy for it.

I would love to have some ducks and geese maybe I can build a pen for them with a small pond but having one out in the open might be a bad idea for me.

 

[Shellz]

I've got one of those thick, black rubber tubs. Big enough for 3-4 ducks to groom at a time. Also holds the suns heat on frosty, sunny days. You can just thump the bottom to get ice out. Worked great! Will last a long time. I built a pen attached to a run, that was attached to duck house. So I was able to keep them safe for their first winter. Perhaps it helped that the pen was close to the house & I was out & about at odd times, that preds weren't a problem then.

 

[JackE]

Steamroo I have 2 acres All on a rocky slope lol a pond might be just to much work. I am on a well that produces 7 gallons a min and didnt dry out after a 2 hour test. I have the water to do it just not the energy lol. I am also worried that if I bring in a water source like that I will have more problems with animals. Co is pretty dry and it seems whenever someone puts out a watering hole animals go crazy for it.

I would love to have some ducks and geese maybe I can build a pen for them with a small pond but having one out in the open might be a bad idea for me.

You would need dynamite, if you wanted to dig a pond out in Col. What you could do, get some concrete block, and build a short wall a couple of blocks high. If on a slope, build one end higher than the other. Put a liner of some kind in there, back fill some dirt and stone to the top of the wall, add water, instant pond. You could make it as big as you want.
See that you are getting some electric fence. That will help a lot, worked out good for me.
Jack

 

[frigginchi]

No digging.


http://www.tractorsupply.com/american-farmland-reg-round-tank-8-x-2-in-plastic-2177188

 

[Steemroo]

Nice ponds Shellz. The small one sounds like a bait pond, and the big one could hold trout!. Another option is duckweed - maybe try a type that grows there already - assuming it does. Good for duck & chicken.

Mygirls, yeah, sounds like a tiny, fenced liner pond is best option.

 

[Shellz]

I'd have more duckweed if the dam muskrat would stop eating it! The improvements will all but eradicate these critters. Banks will be made steeper, and water deeper! Yay!
I've got to talk with our municipal conservation authority about exactly what kind of fish to stock, when the time comes.

 

[Mygirls20]

No digging.


http://www.tractorsupply.com/american-farmland-reg-round-tank-8-x-2-in-plastic-2177188

I was told buy someone I was planning on buying geese from that if I bought one of these I would have to dig a hole for it or the geese wouldnt get in. I asked him if they can just hop/fly in he told me no

You would need dynamite, if you wanted to dig a pond out in Col.

Ya I dont think I will be doing that lol neighbors would hate!! me.

 

[Mygirls20]

So new news today I walked into my coop and found a dead mouse. Daisy our top hen is an expert at mouse catching I dont know how many they have caught or eaten while I have not been out with them... But I have seen her catch 2 so far. I took the dead mouse out but my husband told me I should have left it in for them to eat

. I am totally grossed out about this! Should I have left it in there for them. My thought was if they wanted to eat it they would have instead of throwing it in the corner