Winter water and emptying pools....?

[m.kitchengirl]

So, I know my options for keeping pools open for ducks in winter, and how I am going to keep their pen and everything dry and comfortable but a few questions about MY comfort occurred to me today.

How do you all dispose of the water from your duck pools? I know this probably makes me sound dumb, but when it is freezing... do I just continue to pour it over the gardens all winter?

Also, what do you usually wear for gloves? Ice fishing gloves? Rubber gloves over regular gloves?

I am sure these sound like questions I should be able to answer myself, but I always like to hear how the pros here at BYC handle this stuff.

 

[cat1994]

How do you all dispose of the water from your duck pools? I use rubber pans, when I bring them new water I pick up the rubber pan, turn it over, and stomp on the bottom of the pan until the rubber bends causing the ice to pop out allowing me to fill the rubber pan with new warm water
I know this probably makes me sound dumb, but when it is freezing... do I just continue to pour it over the gardens all winter? Umm I guess you could if you want to it will melt eventually; I just pop my frozen water out on the ground outside the duck pen.
Also, what do you usually wear for gloves? I use winter gloves that are water proof and look like mittens but the covering over the fingers and thumb unbuttons and folds back and buttons folded back if I need a better grip or something, I can't remember where I got them but they work great.

 

[m.kitchengirl]

Thanks so much. I am just a little concerned about the frozen duck water chunks building up around the pen, garden & house. That water gets pretty yucky.

 

[cat1994]

Yeah my duck house is right next to a hill so sometimes I push the ice chunks down the hill or I shove them out across the small pond that is also right next to the duck house. I really just play around with them, kicking them away from the door with my boots, the first winter I would just pop them out right out the front door of my duck house but I soon found this to be a bad idea as I would slip on the ice chunks if not careful lol.

 

[veronicasmom]

The winter pool is set so the dumped water runs into an area that no one walks in. But there is still ice around it, because they splash it all around. Winter in ME + ducks = ice. Don't think there is a way around it unfortunately.
I use heavy rubber gloves over warm gloves too. A little hard to handle things with, but at least my hands are not frozen. I put the heated dog dish in a larger rubber feed pan with a piece of board across it. It keeps them from bathing in it and splashing quite as much. And the shed they live in has rubber stall mats in it, so if I raise the corners of the mat, the ice cracks and I can get it out.
Other than that, there is not much to be done in winter except pray for an early spring!!!!!!!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

around here in winter there is always ice to slip down on, likes been said they splash their water all around so before you know it the ice has built up, and I try to wash off the poop when it's so gross from being frozen on the ice which just makes more ice, so it can get pretty harardeous around here, and living on the North side of the mountain doesn't help because by the end of October the sun is so far away we don't get any heat to melt anything.

 

[Bleenie]

I have natural drains in the yard, thank to the moles!!! just open a hole and dump the pool and hardly any mess is left.

 

[happyhensny]

m.kitchengirl :

Thanks so much. I am just a little concerned about the frozen duck water chunks building up around the pen, garden & house. That water gets pretty yucky.

Giant ice chunks are bad. Do not leave them where DH will hit them with the 6' snowblower on the back of the tractor. It'll make him REALLY mad.

 

[tbitt]

Quote:
Giant ice chunks are bad. Do not leave them where DH will hit them with the 6' snowblower on the back of the tractor. It'll make him REALLY mad.

I am thinking of using the rubber tubs also.

Ducks do not need a pool in the winter.......... I know they'd love one, but as long as the rubber ones are deep enough for them to dip their head in then that is fine. Right?

 

[annie3001]

i have one big rubber black tub for the ducks. thats what i intend to use over the winter. theres no way i can fill up a pool.

our outside hose is frozen. most of the time i end up using three buckets, fill water from the house, walk it outside etc. etc. atleast thats what we have always done for our chickens, its our first winter with the ducks. im nervous as they dont roost at night like the chickens, sure hope theyll be warm in the shared coop.
i just put up our heatlamp (no bulb yet)) getting ready for a ct. cold winter.

good luck everyone!