Pools for Ducks

[DuckyDonna]

That’s a great idea!

I just texted her and told her she's been tagged.

 

[rmoore013]

We just finished our new duck area. We used a Koi pond and installed a drain in the very bottom with a valve. Draining will be really easy. It took 2 people to drain the large kiddie pool

 

[ojust4today]

We just finished our new duck area. We used a Koi pond and installed a drain in the very bottom with a valve. Draining will be really easy. It took 2 people to drain the large kiddie pool

Wow that is great! Do you ever let your ducks out of the pen? I’m going through some difficult duck stuff right now. I have some sitting on eggs and some now. So I leave the coop open for the ducks to come and go as they please cause we live on a large property. Anyhow my dilemma is my dog keeps going and taking eggs from my sitting ducks nest. I don’t know what to do. It doesn’t seem right to lock any in or lock any out. It’s my first time having a duck sitting on eggs so I’m not comfortable with moving the nest and just locking up the mamma.
mom going to have to do something though today was egg#4. Nothing is stopping my dog she is part beagle I don’t know how to say this nicely dumb and hard headed.
So I got to figure out how to keep the dog out or the eggs in. Seems impossible.
That is why I was asking if your stay penned up. My pen is a bit bigger then yours. They could all stay in there comfortable. But they would be getting punished for my dogs poor behavior.

Any advice appreciated.

 

[rmoore013]

Wow that is great! Do you ever let your ducks out of the pen? I’m going through some difficult duck stuff right now. I have some sitting on eggs and some now. So I leave the coop open for the ducks to come and go as they please cause we live on a large property. Anyhow my dilemma is my dog keeps going and taking eggs from my sitting ducks nest. I don’t know what to do. It doesn’t seem right to lock any in or lock any out. It’s my first time having a duck sitting on eggs so I’m not comfortable with moving the nest and just locking up the mamma.
mom going to have to do something though today was egg#4. Nothing is stopping my dog she is part beagle I don’t know how to say this nicely dumb and hard headed.
So I got to figure out how to keep the dog out or the eggs in. Seems impossible.
That is why I was asking if your stay penned up. My pen is a bit bigger then yours. They could all stay in there comfortable. But they would be getting punished for my dogs poor behavior.

Any advice appreciated.

I will leave them penned in here until they are familiar with their new home, but they will have a large area to free range. They are actually within 5 fenced areas (my large 12 acre pasture, then another fence for my goats, then my husbands garden fence, and then my chicken free range area). the ducks will have a space that is about 40 ft wide by 80 feet long to free range outside of their pen and then will be locked in each night. No advice about your puppy. I pull my eggs and incubate. maybe you can get the pup an exercise kennel and put him in it.

 

[Trisseh]

I use those cheap plastic kiddie pools in the summer when I just want to fill it and let them do whatever damage they want, then dump it. If it breaks, oh well. I’ve been given a couple of them too so it doesn’t break the bank. For a more “permanent” pond solution I have a 100 gallon stock tank that I set up with a filter and waterfall, with some aquatic plants. They like to go in there and play around too, but they don’t have 24/7 access or else all the plants would be in their bellies. For in their pen while they’re locked up when I’m gone, they have those grey livestock mineral tubs (the kind that the pressed mineral comes in) because they’re smaller and fit well in the limited space, but deep enough for the ducks to play in. Since it’s only the 2 girls in there right now, 1 of those tubs is just right. When the other couple of ducks eventually join them, I’ll add another 1 or 2. they’re relatively easy to handle and dump because they’re not huge. I could probably install a drain if I needed to but I find them easy enough to tip. There’s a natural pond on the property but I’ve discouraged them going in there because of the wild birds and decaying plants, turtles, etc in there.

 

[DucksNchickenss]

I use a small pet/kids plastic pool from Walmart. I don't have many ducks so I don't need a huge one. It works very well for me. It makes it easier to replace the water with fresh clean water.

 

[Going Quackers]

We just finished our new duck area. We used a Koi pond and installed a drain in the very bottom with a valve. Draining will be really easy. It took 2 people to drain the large kiddie pool

That's impressive, one day i'd like to do that for my biggest call flock as we have A plastic pond liner left from the Koi before we just simply dug a proper pond lol.

 

[Going Quackers]

With all the scovie here i couldn't dare those nails would kill it. Have you thought of some actual troughs? like stock tanks.. you can get the lower ones, my ducks all love those and get in them despite us not wanting that lol

We have a few different brands, some are 50GAL others are 40GAL I do have just plastic kid pools for the calls, pekin and the scovie though if i am speaking "official" duck pools.

I should mention the one kind i have that is 50GAL it's the sheep's but it has a heater and the ducks love it in the winter.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/rubbermaid-structural-foam-stock-tanks-50-gal-capacity

 

[21hens-incharge]

With all the scovie here i couldn't dare those nails would kill it. Have you thought of some actual troughs? like stock tanks.. you can get the lower ones, my ducks all love those and get in them despite us not wanting that lol

We have a few different brands, some are 50GAL others are 40GAL I do have just plastic kid pools for the calls, pekin and the scovie though if i am speaking "official" duck pools.

I should mention the one kind i have that is 50GAL it's the sheep's but it has a heater and the ducks love it in the winter.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/rubbermaid-structural-foam-stock-tanks-50-gal-capacity

That is exactly what we picked up for our ducks. It is not in use yet.

We were told a floating heater only for it. Which heater do you use?

 

[ojust4today]

I will leave them penned in here until they are familiar with their new home, but they will have a large area to free range. They are actually within 5 fenced areas (my large 12 acre pasture, then another fence for my goats, then my husbands garden fence, and then my chicken free range area). the ducks will have a space that is about 40 ft wide by 80 feet long to free range outside of their pen and then will be locked in each night. No advice about your puppy. I pull my eggs and incubate. maybe you can get the pup an exercise kennel and put him in it.


That is an awesome set up and sounds like you and your husband live in a beautiful piece of land. Looking into an incubator and shock collar but really enjoy the fact that she sits on her eggs and her natural instincts have kicked in to do so.