Show me your duck pools/ponds!

[Sosalty]

OK so I'm cheating a whole lot having used a bulldozer . This is a free-range attempt on country acreage with a full size pond that's not necessary. Around 1 - 2 weeks they get real curious about the pond (105'X80'). Then 1 day a duckling plunges in and then runs back into the duck pen cheeping loudly with the others right on his/her tail feathers. The next day they play in shallow water mud. Day 3 they take turns plunging into inches of water then panicking back to safety (entertaining). They practice their dives and venture out further each time. In a few days they slow down eating their duck pellets and become foragers. By week 5 they are play diving 50+ feet! Often all of 'em disappear below the surface and like to dive under each other. I wish I had a video of their antics the afternoon a thunder boomer with rain hit. They can turn rump up and kick 8 ft splashes. So far at night they amble into their predator resistant duck pen. There's 4 5-6 week olds and 5 2-3 week olds and are getting along. 1st pic enlarge to see the 4 older ducklings left of pen.

Bet your ducks are gonna enjoy the rock Weldman!

 

[Evadig]

Oh I wish I had a bulldozer! I’ve got a lively area for a pond… but for now I just bought another kiddie pool.

I found a way to empty the big kiddie pools without breaking your back: I bought a gravel vacuum for aquariums from Walmart and that empties the pool in about an hour.

 

[blissful_ducky]

Here is Belly Flop....this poor ducks legs were deformed since very young I guess, by the time my husband brought him home at least he could hardly put either foot flat on the ground. He always keeps pushing both legs backwards with his feet pointing upwards. The left leg is far less muscular than the right but he manages to swim around pretty contentedly. we tried some splints we ordered for him online but they seem to hurt him to wear so we stopped using them....

My husband built a little chair for him to keep his tummy off the ground, at least that way his belly feathers can dry and stay cleaner. Here's a picture of him:

I got some regular saline solution after reading that could help, and have been rinsing his eyes with it 3-4 times a day, the foaming seems to have stopped but his eyes still look awfully irritated and the feathers around it are reddish and get very dry almost crusty. poor baby. I wish I knew more what to do for him but I've never had ducks around before. he looks so proud and happy when he swims in his little "pond" at least twice a day...

I always rinse his feet, backside and belly in a separate tub of clean water just before putting him in for a swim so that keeps it super clean, and I also sweep out the poo almost the instant he poops...the ultra fine net pool rake/skimmer really makes a huge difference in how long the water stays clean. this is the pool on day 3 since I drained it and scrubbed it with bleach cleaner and refilled it. its clean and clear to see right to the bottom, is that clean enough? I would probably go another day or two before emptying it but if this doesn't look clean enough let me know and I'll try and do it more often..

any helpful advice would be appreciated!

 

[Greta A]

It bothers you more then the duck. My ducks swim in a natural pond that. I never clean and are fine. All those chems are not good for them

 

[Climax]

Yall are missing the simpler solution here, just get smaller ducks like call ducks or mandarins that poop less, less cleaning.

 

[blissful_ducky]

What are you treating his eyes with? I can understand wanting to keep the water clean but with waterfowl it’s near to impossible every 2 days is how long I can go on the small kiddy pool
And every three days on the large one and I have 17 waterfowl yes it gets dirty but I add fresh each day until the day I drain and refill.
Why can’t your duck walk?

sorry I missed your reply. I started with just a general saline solution rinse, it would get better then worse again, so I finally got the terramycin ointment and it seems to be helping. his legs were deformed in such a way that his legs always point back and his feet point up, cannot get his feet to rest flat on the ground it seems to cause him a lot of pain to even try. the Montessori school he came from has had chickens for years and bought these ducks from someone who was getting rid of a whole flock and some eggs that were in an incubator, belly flop was the only one that couldn't walk and wasn't able to compete for food. I have no idea what caused it but maybe niacin deficiency made it worse since he couldn't get to the food....he simply loves his pond/pool and paddles around twice a day looking so happy, and rests on his little chair in the shade...not sure what we will do once it gets cold though.

 

[Miss Lydia]

House Duck?

 

[Sequestered Ridge Ranch]

OK so I'm cheating a whole lot having used a bulldozer . This is a free-range attempt on country acreage with a full size pond that's not necessary. Around 1 - 2 weeks they get real curious about the pond (105'X80'). Then 1 day a duckling plunges in and then runs back into the duck pen cheeping loudly with the others right on his/her tail feathers. The next day they play in shallow water mud. Day 3 they take turns plunging into inches of water then panicking back to safety (entertaining). They practice their dives and venture out further each time. In a few days they slow down eating their duck pellets and become foragers. By week 5 they are play diving 50+ feet! Often all of 'em disappear below the surface and like to dive under each other. I wish I had a video of their antics the afternoon a thunder boomer with rain hit. They can turn rump up and kick 8 ft splashes. So far at night they amble into their predator resistant duck pen. There's 4 5-6 week olds and 5 2-3 week olds and are getting along. 1st pic enlarge to see the 4 older ducklings left of pen.

Bet your ducks are gonna enjoy the rock Weldman!

I hope so, I was working on another pond for them when the transmission blew a rear seal. Need to drag the machine back to fix it.

 

[Moments]

What are you treating his eyes with? I can understand wanting to keep the water clean but with waterfowl it’s near to impossible every 2 days is how long I can go on the small kiddy pool
And every three days on the large one and I have 17 waterfowl yes it gets dirty but I add fresh each day until the day I drain and refill.
Why can’t your duck walk?

Miss Lydia, I have 10 and a large kiddie pool and it needs to be cleaned daily and not all of them are even in it that long lol. If I go two days when only one is filled (usually only possible if I have multiple pools filled) it looks questionable, with poop sunken to the bottom or just brown altogether between the pool and mud. And then they often prefer to drink from the nasty poop pool over the clean water they have provided for them.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well our two ducks that hatched in June [both drakes] think the pool is the most favorite place in the whole world so the large kiddy pool gets pretty nasty in a day. I usually added water till it's running out and leave it run for about 10mins. Then I add 2 capfuls of bleach. This gives me 2 days before I drain and refill. They are poop machines. And mine drink from the pool also.