Pond?

[Rosebud 18]

I'm in Tn. and I only had a kiddie pool last year for my 2 pekins. The water would freeze solid sometimes and I would have to wait until it thawed enough to dump it. I had those rubber pans from TSC for their drinking water and it was eaiser to dump every day and give them fresh water. This year I added 13 runners, 3 welsh harlequins, 2 black and 1 blue swedish and 4 geese. I added a larger kiddie pool and several more pans and some 5 gallon buckets. I hope that will carry them thru. the winter.

 

[stillmecle]

As anybody ever tried the electric dog water bowls for their ducks to drink from during the winter? Sorry to ask a question on your post Thepigeonkid.

 

[animalsRawesome]

Yes. I used heated dog bowls a couple of years ago for my ducks. It worked fine, but if I remember right I unplugged it or the powere went out or something and then it got froze to the ground because it kind-of melts the snow around it just alittle. IDK. It worked fine though.

 

[Rosebud 18]

I'm thinking about getting a heated watering bowl this winter.

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

Quote:
Not really sure why I didn't think of that. (Maybe it's the 3 kids that sucked out my brain cells.) DUH! That's a good idea. I'll rig something that way too.

 

[animalsRawesome]

Yes, they are nice, but they are SOOOOO expensive!

 

[heatherindeskies]

Here in Minnesota i have a kiddie pool spring, summer and fall until it freezes over and I am sick of breaking ice daily. I then move a sheep tank into the barn and cover it with a piece of plywood until that too freezes, then put a tank heater in it. I doubt the plastic kiddie pools could handle a heater unless you rigged it so the heater touches nothing.
I keep wood over the sheep tank because the chickens might fall in!
I give the ducks supervised swim time while i do chores and I pull out the heater and unplug it while they swim, several times a week. They love it, but around feb. they usually lose interest in the tank. I'm guessing the 'warm' water is great until they have to get out in the cold again.
If you can't get a sheep tank or such, a tub that you could easily empty out might be the way to go since it is nice to have enough water to splash on themselves for grooming, although I am sure there are many ducks who cannot bathe during winter.
I know water for swimming in the frozen winter is a total pain. Anything you splash out seems to freeze. I have a sump pump i put in the sheep tank to clean it out, then drag it out to dump the last bit and rinse outside. Let's just say the tank doesn't get emptied as often as it should.
I do use plug in water bowls and yes they freeze to the ground. I just kick them loose (which makes them splash which makes them freeze to the ground again!!) to clean them.
Up here Walmart has large ones for $20. I've found smaller ones for the same price at other places.
I've also had to put a heat lamp over the heated water bowls when the temps really drop, or they freeze over just enough to prevent birds from drinking!!!

 

[animalsRawesome]

I used a heater in my kiddi pool too. I used the ones that have a wire protector around them to keep them from touching the sides or bottom. It didn't hurt the pool at all.

 

[BoutrosBoutrosGalusGalus]

they love having enough water to dive and swoosh around in. Kiddie pool ended up being too small for that so we found a 150g pond on Craigslist. So instead of cleaning it out every day I do it every 3 days. Lawns perking up.

 

[wbruder17]

They have very low maintenance, low "octane"??? Water heaters that we've used for the horse troughs throughout the winer when I was in Pensylvania. It might be something to look into, as ducks really want to be in water... but I live in a mild climate where the "pond" aka plastic container, will continue to be used throughout the winte months, and don't know your particular climate. I just wouldn't like to deprive my ducks of their swimming opportunities, as they reallly love iit.