Pool Height Question

[416bigbore]

As you can see in the pics, our pool is a very popular place in the coop. I change the water out every other morning and that seems to keep it fairly clean with all the use it receives. They have no problem getting right up in there and watching as the pool is being filled. At times they even have to wait in line until it's their turn. The plastic tub measures 20" wide, 12" deep and 50" long, at one time it was a perfect size, but not anymore as you can see.

I am in the process of adding a run onto the coop with access to a much larger garden tub for them to swim. Since the new Garden Pool is going to be above ground it measures 20" high to the lip of the tub. I am thinking this might be to high for the larger Rouen/Pekin ducks if they decide to jump down off the side rather then using the steps to get down.

My question is this, The pool I am using now has a 6" drop for them if they want to go over the side and this hasn't been an issue for them. The two smaller Mallard hens I am not so worried about because they fly in and out of the pool right now with no troubles. It's the larger heavier ducks I am cornered with the 20" drop to the ground. I am guessing this could be a possible risk for a leg injury to them or not?

If the ducks are in the pool when I enter the coop now, some of them scramble to get out and have no problem jumping right over the side of the pool to do so. I am thinking if this same reaction happens with a pool that is higher, I might need to build some type of a tub surround around the top lip to help prevent a 20" drop to the ground and risk possible leg injury. Might I be over looking anything?

 

[DuckyDonna]

Be sure to also think about how they are going to get out of the pool from the inside of it. If you build a deck area on the outside are you still going to be able to clean the pool? Will you have to be able to tip it over to clean or will it have a drain with a ball valve?

I have a couple of bricks inside my little pool for the babies to get out. In my bigger pool, I've got a cinder block for the adult ducks to get out of that one. I don't really like that because the block wears holes on the pool's plastic which of course causes leaks which I have to fix with 5200 Marine adhesive.

 

[DuckyDonna]

Another thing I'd like to add to your pool project that I've found extremely helpful. I laid down landscape material underneath my pool area, I put down the pallet and then some flat rocks I had in the yard and filled in with little river rock pebbles. Doing that has absolutely eliminated mud in the pool. I have plenty of poo in the pool but no longer have a huge amount of mud to deal with. I've got 2 pools and they both have that setup and neither pool is plagued with mud....only poo. My avatar is a picture of one of my pool areas.

 

[21hens-incharge]

You can see the duck deck I did on page 10 of my thread.

I sloped it so water runs off and out of the run too.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/starting-that-duck-house.1366533/

 

[416bigbore]

Hello DuckyDonna you bring up some good points, Thank you. I have a PVC 90 with a 2" PVC valve to use for draining the tub over having to tip it every time. My little plastic pool didn't have any drain and that is a chore to bucket the water out first until I can dump it. I am also going to glue down a little indoor outdoor carpet around the top of the pool for traction and lounging. Then bolt a few wooden steps into the inside of the tub a few inches below the water line for easy exit. I have a few flat bricks in the other pool to help the younger ducklings get out. I just hate to waste the bottom space from having to stack all those bricks. Our two smaller Mallard hens love to dive and swim along the bottom, the others not so much, they like to float and splash around and exit.

 

[416bigbore]

You can see the duck deck I did on page 10 of my thread.

I sloped it so water runs off and out of the run too.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/starting-that-duck-house.1366533/

That's awesome you have a great looking set up! Thanks for sharing, more food for though before I start.

 

[21hens-incharge]

That's awesome you have a great looking set up! Thanks for sharing, more food for though before I start.

Thanks. It was slow going but came out functioning well.

I look forward to seeing how your set up comes out.

My ducks like to dive and spin too. The stacked blocks don't seem to bother mine at all.

 

[DuckyDonna]

Hello DuckyDonna you bring up some good points, Thank you. I have a PVC 90 with a 2" PVC valve to use for draining the tub over having to tip it every time. My little plastic pool didn't have any drain and that is a chore to bucket the water out first until I can dump it. I am also going to glue down a little indoor outdoor carpet around the top of the pool for traction and lounging. Then bolt a few wooden steps into the inside of the tub a few inches below the water line for easy exit. I have a few flat bricks in the other pool to help the younger ducklings get out. I just hate to waste the bottom space from having to stack all those bricks. Our two smaller Mallard hens love to dive and swim along the bottom, the others not so much, they like to float and splash around and exit.

I know what you mean about the bricks in the pool taking up room. I've got one of the smaller plastic pools (the pink one in the avatar). With 9 little ducks in there almost doubling in size every other day wanting to zoom I worry about them zooming headfirst into the bricks. The bigger plastic pool that the big ducks have now will have a drain put in and the "kids" will get that pool in the near future.

My husband is building an 8' x 4' pool for the 10 big kids. We used to own a 50' charter fishing boat so he learned how to do fiberglass work out of necessity and we have a lot of excess fiberglass. This pool is going to basically be like a boat in reverse. He even dyed the inside of the pool blue. It's pretty close to being put together and will have a drain that goes out behind the duck run. I'd love the water to go somewhere useful but I can't see how that could happen without creating a mud hole inside the run.

 

[DuckyDonna]

Hello DuckyDonna you bring up some good points, Thank you. I have a PVC 90 with a 2" PVC valve to use for draining the tub over having to tip it every time. My little plastic pool didn't have any drain and that is a chore to bucket the water out first until I can dump it. I am also going to glue down a little indoor outdoor carpet around the top of the pool for traction and lounging. Then bolt a few wooden steps into the inside of the tub a few inches below the water line for easy exit. I have a few flat bricks in the other pool to help the younger ducklings get out. I just hate to waste the bottom space from having to stack all those bricks. Our two smaller Mallard hens love to dive and swim along the bottom, the others not so much, they like to float and splash around and exit.

If your drain is on the bottom or close to it you shouldn't have to tip the pool to clean it at all. I would think you could just hose it down real good so all the poo goes down the drain.

 

[416bigbore]

If your drain is on the bottom or close to it you shouldn't have to tip the pool to clean it at all. I would think you could just hose it down real good so all the poo goes down the drain.

Yes that was the plan. The tub already has a good slope to it so that will help. I just wanted to have a large enough drain and valve so I would not have any issues with poo and gunk when draining it. 5/8" or even 3/4" garden hose I think would cause an issue. That's why I went with 2"!