Swan Mini Lake..... hehe

[aoxa]

Gorgeous! I need to get some of these!

 

[SuperPeacockman]

How are they handicapped?

 

[chickenzoo]

Quote:
Meera & Rio I got as cygnets from a "breeder" here in FL. Rio had a funny walk, he galloped like, and as they grew he got worse and worse. Meera's one leg was twisting also. When they stopped by to see them, they said they would probably grow out of it.... but they did not, it got worse until Rio looked bow legged and Meera's leg tendon was off to the side. They did offer to replace them the next season and they would take them to their vet to be "tested". We'll I've heard them talk about their vet, and I had already invested so much into them, and I bonded with them..... I knew what would happen to them there, so I declined turning them over. I offered to meet them at their vet so they could take samples etc... but they said they would have to leave them there... probably be put down and necropsied I'm sure. So I kept them and took them to my vet. He said although they have a hard way of going, their is no swelling or irritation of the joints. It was not painful although they may develop problems later in life, but if I had the time and patience to accommodate them , they could have a good life. When asked what causes this, he stated poor incubation/humidity temps, and inbreeding etc...
So I make things as easy for them as possible, and they still make it around the farm... just slower. They let me pick them up if they are in a hurry, cause they know I'll get them there quicker.... but they both are super sweet swans.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

I would love to see your swans and others in person sometime. How was moving so many?

 

[chickenzoo]

Quote:
Moving the animals themselves was not bad, but moving and setting up all the pens, building new ones and running lots and lots of fence in a short amount of time, mostly just myself as hubby was working, was exhausting.

 

[J's Orpingtons]

Nice swans! Also your geese are looking nice

 

[gunnarwordon]

Just beautiful!

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i know this is an older thread but i just found it. i love your temporary pond. What did you use for the sides? And how do you clean it? i'm wanting to build a bigger pond for our geese (bigger than a kiddie pool) and trying to get ideas. Thanks.

 

[chickenzoo]

I bought some used Billboard sign tarps from Clear channel when they were still using the heavy duty stuff. Was like $10 for a 16 X 40. I had some scrap lumber around so I used the tractor to grade a 10 X 16 rectangle with a slight slope to one side.I took my 10 ft and 16 ft lumber and built a box for the sides about 12-14 inches tall ( depending on your lumber you can do deeper)I used some wood stakes to sure up the long sides so they didn't bow out. I then took 4 inch PVC drain pipe about 6 ft long with a 90 degree elbow on one end, dug a trench from a foot inside my frame on the low side, so that the long part of the PVC was underground and the lip of the 90 degree elbow was sitting slightly higher then the floor of my pond. I then draped over the tarp ( I now have 3 layers of tarp after the Cranes decided to put holes in the first layer) over the frame, smoothed up the walls and over the sides of the frame. I then took a crayon and traced the lip of the 90 degree elbow through the tarp. I then gathered some more tarp up around the neck of it and using a xacto knife cut an X in the center of the circle I drew. Then worked the lip of the elbow through the hole about 1/4 inch or so. Taking a metal tightening ring, slip the ring over the tarp on the sides of the pipe lip. Tighten down the ring until very snug. this is the drain hole. Then take another section of the 4 inch pipe and cut it as high as the water level you want in the pond. Put that in the drain hole to hold your water level. When you want to drain it... pull it out...... Drains in mins.... easy to clean. Spectrum ranch has photos posted on one of these threads... i borrowed his idea.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Thank you SO much for the detailed description. i think i can do that. We don't have a tractor, but our yard naturally slopes down in the back. And that sounds pretty easy to clean. i think our ducks and geese would like more swimming room. Our three Sebastopols have one of those smaller kiddie pools and the 10 ducks have a larger kiddie pool with a drain on one end. When i drain and clean that every couple of days, it's gang busters in there, wings flapping, water splashing, some trying to dive. They really need more room!