Friday, August 2, 2013

Drains for the pools

We suppose that all pet duck owners (slaves), will at some point succumb to installing drains or pumps for the duckies pools.  Well after a little over 5 years of scooping and dumping we are finally going to try the drains.

This our first attempt.  We are using garden hose connectors and 3/4" nuts.  

We hope this works but we do have some concerns about the narrow internal diameter and all the mess (not just poo, but rocks, and leaves, etc).  But we shall see. 

It got too dark to show it set up outside tonight so we will post again tomorrow to let you know how it goes. 





2 comments:

Fran said...

Oh what a task that must be to clean the pool for so many ducks. I know when you love animals then you do everything for them. I had only one duck and from the beginning we used a submersible pump to empty her pond. We had a black kind a plastic pond that was sitting in the ground. The removal of the green algae was quite a task. We had to abrade the wall surfaces to get it off. I wish you much success with what you're doing!

Kyle said...

Great blog you have here! I thought I would share my experience:

I used to have a similar set up for my duck pond. Then after about a year, the good ol' $15 kiddie pool cracked and wouldn't hold water anymore. So then I started with a new design on the entire outdoor area. I dug a big hole, so that most of the area would be swimming area. Then I built a sturdy structure with 2x4s and chain link so that they could be outside anytime day or night. (They often prefer to sleep in their pond!) Then I put plumbing into the bottom of the pond, and fashioned a drain at the top, so that the water level remains consistent. I put an electronic valve with a timer inline with the plumbing, and programmed it to run water for 15 minutes, 2 times a day. This helps to keep it flushed out and clean all the time. The plumbing at the bottom helps to stir up sediment at the bottom of the pond and send it out the drain. It uses a good bit of water, but not having to clean the pond is worth it to me. Also, the drain waters the lawn with fertilized water! In addition, it is the primary drinking water for my 4 ducks. I haven't dealt with pond cleaning or filling water jugs all summer!

Here are some pictures of my 2 Rouens and 2 Runners checking out their new digs for the first time:
http://s22.photobucket.com/user/fretslider51/library/Duck%20Pond

They also have about 3 acres with a creek that that they get to play in during the day. My 2 dogs keep the area clear of most predators, and the dogs themselves wouldn't dream of hurting the ducks. They also have heavily wooded areas that they hang out in they happen to spot a hawk nearby. I have extremely spoiled ducks!