Instant Pond

[bindian]

Brandi, cute chill'ns you have there! This time off year, that section of TSC is where everyone seems to be:laughing: How long until their "waterproofed"?, I have seen wild ones in the water as soon as they could walk, at least that's how it appeared. I never had ducks, just some geeses and a pair of swans.

I guess Momma dries them until they get waterproofed feather or spreads oil (whatever that fluid is called) on their feathers for them.
I have to reread about the time frame for them, but I think they remain un waterproof until around 4 weeks. Until then, they need plenty of heat to dry off if they get wet, like playing in their drinking water, as they can get chilled real easy right now. I know they can fly about 7 weeks for the drakes.
So I will move them to the cage around 4-5 weeks, with water to float and play in........then release them around 7-8 weeks on the pond.

 

[bindian]

Way back when I was a youngun my best friend and I decided to raise some ducks. I have a spring on my property so we built an enclosure with a pond we dug inside of it for them to enjoy. Little did we know what kind of ducklings we bought at the farmer's market. They turned out to be muscoveys who decided that they want to fly south when the geese flew overhead. Had to trim their flight feathers so they couldn't fly.

What an experience.

When I was wee little, Dad had Pheasants and Ducks. I was scared of the Pheasants, as they were mean and killed each other when someone left a door open between the old ones and the young ones. By the time Dad got home.........only one was alive. Dad had it mounted. It's on my wall now.

Guess that is why I have poultry phobias, except for ducks. We had a huge duck cage beside the pheasants for the Momma duck and her ducklings. In the cage, Dad dug a hole and filled it with water for them to play in. We had a small wet weather pond beside the cages we always called the Duck Pond.

McMurrayhatchery.com has pheasants. Maybe someday I might raise some as a memory to Dad. I also remember Dad taking Mom's pinking shears and trimming the Mallards right wing. He only trimmed one wing.
hugs, Brandi

 

[tractorshopper]

I raised some ducks last year. They didn't fly off. They live in the pond and only come out to eat or once in a while sun bath on the bank. I am probably going to get a few more this year and add to the flock. The first few times I tried to get them in the pond, I literally had to chase the 2 lead ducks down and catch them and throw them in the pond, then catch the others and throw them in while trying to keep the lead ducks in. They did not naturally gravitate to the water other than making a mess of the watering can while in the brooder and chicken coop until they were about 2 months. After a few days of throwing them in the water, I could start herding them to the water, and then just couldn't get them out of the water. Be prepared, it may take some time for them to want it.

 

[bindian]

I raised some ducks last year. They didn't fly off. They live in the pond and only come out to eat or once in a while sun bath on the bank. I am probably going to get a few more this year and add to the flock. The first few times I tried to get them in the pond, I literally had to chase the 2 lead ducks down and catch them and throw them in the pond, then catch the others and throw them in while trying to keep the lead ducks in. They did not naturally gravitate to the water other than making a mess of the watering can while in the brooder and chicken coop until they were about 2 months. After a few days of throwing them in the water, I could start herding them to the water, and then just couldn't get them out of the water. Be prepared, it may take some time for them to want it.

Tractorshopper,
What breed were they? Only ducks that might fly off are Mallards, or the smaller call and wood ducks.

Did you give them water to play in inside their cage before you turned them out?

When I move them to the 6x8 foot cage, I'll give them something to float in. When they are big enough, I am gonna carry them down to the pond and put them in it. I don't think I could catch them once turned out.
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

I built a 6x8 foot cage out of old 2x6s that I ripped in half and covered it with chicken wire.

Before I could get the stall fenced to keep dogs and such out.............I kept the ducks in the cage in the barn where the Big RED Beast usually parks.

I got the fence finished and the cage moved into the ducklings' quarters until they are released on the pond. I moved the cage with the Mahindra's loader, then positioned it with the backhoe.

My daughter and grand daughter came to visit this weekend and saw the ducks today, after all the rain was gone. Chloe was thrilled by the little quackers!

hugs, Brandi

 

[JohninCT]

That's what it's all about right there. Kids and grand kids enjoying the land and critters with you. Good job!

 

[EddieWalker]

You sure built that cage to last. Are you going to be raising ducks every year?

Eddie

 

[NativeSon]

I built a 6x8 foot cage out of old 2x6s that I ripped in half and covered it with chicken wire.
View attachment 365651
Before I could get the stall fenced to keep dogs and such out.............I kept the ducks in the cage in the barn where the Big RED Beast usually parks.
View attachment 365650View attachment 365652
I got the fence finished and the cage moved into the ducklings' quarters until they are released on the pond. I moved the cage with the Mahindra's loader, then positioned it with the backhoe.
View attachment 365653View attachment 365654
My daughter and grand daughter came to visit this weekend and saw the ducks today, after all the rain was gone. Chloe was thrilled by the little quackers!
View attachment 365655View attachment 365656View attachment 365657
hugs, Brandi

Brandi,
Chloe's big eyes sure showed she liked the ducks. We always have such a good time when the grandkids show up at the place.

Charlie

 

[Western]

I think "someone" has gone into the "duck bidness":laughing: Nice job Brandi and no shortage of staples!

BTW in the 1st photo, what is the Red on the floor? wine or is big red shedding

 

[tractorshopper]

Awesome Brandi! 2 of mine are the big white Japanese ducks and will certainly not fly off. 2 smaller ones, one has a really funny name I don't recall and the other looks like a mallard, but has an electric dark blue look instead of the green a mallard usually would. I'm going to get a 3 or 4 more this week and brood them up too, then combine to the herd.

The ducks need to keep their noses clean and will make a mess out of your watering dish constantly splashing it everywhere. It only gets worse as they get older. If you add a small pool for them to play in, they will enjoy it a lot. Need to make sure they have a ramped way back out of it. They are not very coordinated with their legs and are weak there. I put my brooder out under the shed roof this time because the one thing you will soon find out is that they stink horribly. Nothing like chickens. Much much much worse when confined. I couldn't wait for them to get big enough to let out free. Now they don't stink but have the whole yard to mess in, so I never notice it, but when they were in the coop with the chickens, they were terribly smelly beasts.

 

[bindian]

That's what it's all about right there. Kids and grand kids enjoying the land and critters with you. Good job!

Thanks. Yep, that is what it is all about. Just wish Dad was here to see it all........my ducklings and his Great grand daughter.
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

You sure built that cage to last. Are you going to be raising ducks every year?

Eddie

Eddie,
I learned how to build from my Dad. He always built stout. I made the cage heavy duty to move it around as needed. I might do ducks every spring.........cause I found a good reliable source on Craigslist for Mallards. If I do that.......I'll put the cage on a concrete slab and add a roof on the cage.
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

Brandi,
Chloe's big eyes sure showed she liked the ducks. We always have such a good time when the grandkids show up at the place.

Charlie

Charlie,
Chloe sure seemed to like them. It is all worth it when you hear them tell their parents........."I wanna go to Grams house".
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

I think "someone" has gone into the "duck bidness":laughing: Nice job Brandi and no shortage of staples!

BTW in the 1st photo, what is the Red on the floor? wine or is big red shedding

Dennis,
Thanks! Ducks are so cool and I never liked any other poultry. So maybe it will be duck sales. I plan on putting rabbit cages in that area after the ducks are grown, but I can always put them on the back side of the barn stall and fence that in also. I want to add a roof further out and add a catch pen to that added roof...........for either calves or a wild mustang. Yeah, I want a Mustang to ride.

I used 9/16th inch staples in a Harbor Frieght pneumatic staple gun. Works great, but I wanted to make sure they held the wire if a dog tries to barrel through the wire. I also used the pneumatic staple gun to "hang" the horse fence wire. Then I came back and stretched it and hammered in 3/4 inch staples. I really need to get some 1 & 1/2 inch staples for that horse fence.

The RED on the concrete is overspray from painting the offset disc last spring. It is slowly coming up in "various" ways.
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

Awesome Brandi! 2 of mine are the big white Japanese ducks and will certainly not fly off. 2 smaller ones, one has a really funny name I don't recall and the other looks like a mallard, but has an electric dark blue look instead of the green a mallard usually would. I'm going to get a 3 or 4 more this week and brood them up too, then combine to the herd.

The ducks need to keep their noses clean and will make a mess out of your watering dish constantly splashing it everywhere. It only gets worse as they get older. If you add a small pool for them to play in, they will enjoy it a lot. Need to make sure they have a ramped way back out of it. They are not very coordinated with their legs and are weak there. I put my brooder out under the shed roof this time because the one thing you will soon find out is that they stink horribly. Nothing like chickens. Much much much worse when confined. I couldn't wait for them to get big enough to let out free. Now they don't stink but have the whole yard to mess in, so I never notice it, but when they were in the coop with the chickens, they were terribly smelly beasts.

Thanks Tractorshoper! They can get smelly. Seems the older they get, the less water they are wasting in the waterers. I wanted to dig a hole and line it with plastic, yesterday, for a swimmin' hole, but my daughter was here and it got cold after she left. So next weekend they get a built in swimmin' hole.
hugs, Brandi

 

[Western]

Dennis,
Thanks! Ducks are so cool and I never liked any other poultry. So maybe it will be duck sales. I plan on putting rabbit cages in that area after the ducks are grown, but I can always put them on the back side of the barn stall and fence that in also. I want to add a roof further out and add a catch pen to that added roof...........for either calves or a wild mustang. Yeah, I want a Mustang to ride.

I used 9/16th inch staples in a Harbor Frieght pneumatic staple gun. Works great, but I wanted to make sure they held the wire if a dog tries to barrel through the wire. I also used the pneumatic staple gun to "hang" the horse fence wire. Then I came back and stretched it and hammered in 3/4 inch staples. I really need to get some 1 & 1/2 inch staples for that horse fence.

The RED on the concrete is overspray from painting the offset disc last spring. It is slowly coming up in "various" ways.
hugs, Brandi

Brandi, I had to take a jab at the red paint:laughing: You did a heck of a job stretching the wire, that stuff can be a pain in the rear at times. Turned out real nice. When I had swans, I liked having them around and they sure kept folks from "over fishing" my ponds!! They are b-e-utiful and very protective of their space, you never seen a kid run so fast when a big swan has had enough of them.

 

[bindian]

Brandi, I had to take a jab at the red paint:laughing: You did a heck of a job stretching the wire, that stuff can be a pain in the rear at times. Turned out real nice. When I had swans, I liked having them around and they sure kept folks from "over fishing" my ponds!! They are b-e-utiful and very protective of their space, you never seen a kid run so fast when a big swan has had enough of them.

Dennis,
Dad was an Aggie and raised on a farm. He instilled in me you have to have tight, straight fenced. He used to have a woven wire stretcher that bolted together. It had a "walking beam" lever to tighten the wire. I never saw it in action, as by the time I was big enough to remember, we used come-a-longs. I stretched this fence with just a claw hammer....just like we used to do to barbed wire.

I will have to take a photo where my BH grader blade caught the fence, while putting a slope to the area the cage sits on. It's real ugly.
hugs, Brandi

 

[tractorshopper]

Brandi, your set up is great and they will love your ponds. My two white ducks are Pekin's, one duck is a kacki something or other, one is a Rouen. Last night I picked up 4 more chicks and 4 more ducks, all Rouen's this time because they didn't have any other types to choose from. The Rouens are like your mallards, but have an electric dark blue color instead of the green on the mallards. The baby ducks look identical to yours. I'm always amazed how fast the ducks and chicks grow. Tiny right now, but seem to double in size each week. When yours are grown and you put them in the pond, please post pics!!

 

[tractorshopper]

 

[bindian]

View attachment 366418

TS,
Is that a Buff or the Khaki you mentioned, in the photo? My ten Mallards went through almost 50 pounds of Chick Starter food in 3 weeks. Gotta get them on the pond and the land I plan to fence and plant a "wet" garden of chufa and other duck edibles. This is right behind the island pond's dam
hugs , Brandi