The Migratory/Ornamental Waterfowl INFO Thread

[waterdog]

Looks like they are both a later hatch just a little behind getting adult plumage alot of our second clutch birds are about three weeks behind in coloring, we had two third clutch Ringed Teal hatch in August they have no color at all yet.
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[exoticduckluvr]

wow amazing pens!!

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Thanks all,
plan to do something similar this go round, just bigger and better.
As for the tops in the last 2, that's grape vines and pine straw, make shift shade netting as that pen had lots of northern species in it.That and there were lots of grown trees I just went around when building. Every now any then, I'd have to cut a hole in it and get some straw off to ease the weight, then just sew it back up.

They all loved the shade from it during our south Georgia summers though, so did I, LOL

As for the over flow, this pen didnt just concrete ponds with pvc filler to each, this one had 3 ponds in it, 2 large and one small.
I did have one with a waterfall from a small pond to a larger pond, it recirculated back to the top smaller one, and had a make shift creek between the two for the water to flow between them in.

These are just set up with adjustable pvc water misters in it for refilling or spraying mist in the summer. Summer or winter, they seemed to love to just sit in the mist from them. In the pics it was on a maintaining flow, but can be set to a fine mist which they really loved. In the winter, this made ice cycles off the netting, which they always loved to eat on, made me cold just watching them, but as they day would warm and pieces fell into the water, they'd be on them like it was candy to eat them...

edited to add,
look at the second to the last pic, that pond is on a fine mist spray and look where they are all sitting! Those goldeneyes really loved it, all the divers did .

 

[KansasKid]

So you didn't have any big pumps that recirculated from a lower pond back up to a higher, just the misters that created a slow flow of water? The pump that supplied water to your misters, did you just have them sit on the bottoms of your ponds? and if so how often did they clog up, if ever?

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

The one that had the water fall in it did have a large swimming pool style sand filter/pump that recirculated it.
These with the misters were just run off our deep well. I didnt put any plastic under the concrete when I laid it, so obviously the water would seep threw it, that way, I could run the fresh water to it daily without over flows. Wasnt a lot, just enough to keep a steady mist going to them

 

[kangababy]

Misters and grape vines.. I so see those in my future!!
Great pictures.. I love new ideas...

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

yep, they can make a 15+ degree difference in the pens here in the good ol south, being from AL, you know how bad we can get here, so all the help they can get is appreciated, and they really love that mist year round

 

[exoticduckluvr]

I had to put a pedistal Oscellating fan in the pen this year for mine. It rained nearly everyday this spring & summer. The humidity was killer when the sun came back out

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

I know what you mean, we say about 90% hre all the freakin time, LOL

 

[exoticduckluvr]

yep if not for the humidity our winter would be great but that damp cold goes right to your bones when we get it. Went Michigan one Christmas to the In Laws and it was great. My first time sledding and stuff. I was almost sweating in all that snow. Big difference in humid and dry cold