show us your duck ponds!!

[ibradly]

Quote:
At one time I had one of those huge kiddie pools and it didn't have a drain plug. What were they thinking when they designed that?! Haha. I guess they figured the kids would splash enough water out so that you could tip it over when you were done.

What I did was drill a hole in the side, near the bottom of course, and used a Boat Bailer plug. It was great because I could "pull the plug" from the outside of the pool so I wouldn't have to reach in and get all wet with 2 day old duck water. Here is a link to the plug.

http://www.amazon.com/Moeller-Snap-Tite-Bailer-1-Inch-Aluuminum/dp/B000MTCRIM

 

[WoodlandWoman]

The Rubbermaid stock tanks have a drain at the bottom, on the side. They make a 50 gallon size that is short. We used it for water for the sheep and later for a small patio pond. We attached a short section of garden hose to the drain hole and it made it really easy to do water changes for the fish, without flooding the area.

For kiddie pools, there are bulk head fittings you can buy for ponds and aquariums. You cut a hole in the side, use the fitting in it, then you can put a valve that opens and closes on the bulk head fitting. I designed the settlement chamber for our koi pond and use this to drain out the sludge at the bottom.

For other ponds, you could also get one of the little submersible pumps they use for circulating water in ponds to pump out water. You just attach a piece of hose to the output fitting, drop it in, plug it in and you're in business. Just don't let it run dry.

 

[GoodEgg]

Well, I was going to tell you all what I do, but I like the plug idea MUCH better.

But in the meantime, I just have a section of a waterhose (begged for it free on freecycle) and I fill it in the ducks' drinking water pool, then put one end into the swimming pool, and the other on the lowest section of ground. As long as the ducks don't dislodge it, the pool drains fairly quickly.

But I like the plug idea better!

trish

 

[picklespickles]

i am not so good at fixing things up as yall. i dug a hole and put my kiddie pool in the ground. it was too high. i put the hose in and just let it overflow. dirt does collect at the bottom, but they seem to love to "dive" for that anyway. when i did tump it over and almost kill my back, they still muddied it back up in five minutes anyway. so i dont' worry about some goo on the bottom. plus, the chickens love the overflow from the pond when it is overflowing for five minutes or so. they come from everywhere to drink from the "stream" it makes in the dirt. there is nothing they enjoy like that.

 

[Forest_Nymph]

I did what Goodegg did.
But, I used a wet/dry vac to create the suction to start the flow. The end in the pond was weighted down with metal discs duct-taped around the hose. In five minutes the pond is drained and I'm able to take an old broom and swab down the sides and refill!
By the way, my pond is a medium size water garden pool that I built into the duck run. During the summer, it has to be drained once a week because of the stinch of algae built up.
My two ducks are quite comfortable with this arrangement. I wish I could post a pic...I've got "thousands" it seems !!

 

[picklespickles]

the one thing my doesn't get is algae. i guess becuae it's shaded by a tree. how funny. the goat bucket gets algae and i change that water everyday. but it sits in the sun. never thought about that before.

 

[ozark hen]

Hmmm, I keep my duck's kiddie pool in the sun and am fighting algae all the time. Very interesting, I must try moving the pool.

 

[picklespickles]

really do. because i dont' change the water in mine every single day and no algae ever.