Water

Poultry and especially waterfowl need clean fresh water daily. Ducks need the water to wash down their food and also need enough water to keep their eyes and nostrils clean. A pond for waterfowl is ideal but not everyone is able to have a pond on their property. Changing the water is alot of work but the overall health and plumage of waterfowl is kept best by keeping up with this chore. Here is a few methods I have used.

Seen this used many times......garbage can lid.

One way that has seemed to work the best for me is using a tote, the kind that slides under the bed. You can pick them up at WalMart for about $3.50. The frame is made of pressure treated 2x4's and the tote set down in. The stone (beach stone) is put around the outside to keep the mud down.

In the past I have used small birdbath type heaters in the winter. I still use them in the raised pens but I have tried other ways to keep the water from freezing without using heaters. One thing that has seemed to work is lining bubble pack under the tote that is setting in the frame. It will still be iced over in the morning but will have enough water under it that I can easily dump it out without having to damage the totes.

In the aviary I have also been using the totes. In the future I may dig a small garden pond for this.

In my largest pen I have a garden pond. I had a piece of EPDM liner that I had purchased years ago. I dug a hole that tapers toward one side down to about a foot deep. A closed-cell foam underlayment barrier was put in as a pre liner. In the deepest end I have a sewage type pump, one that will pump solids. I first tried an ordinary sump pump but had too many problems with clogging. The effluent/sewage type pumps cost a bit more but can handle the sludge that ducks seem to create quickly. The rocks around the edges I was lucky enough to pick up at a construction site. Stone is a beach type that is small round and easy on the ducks feet.