The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Womble on February 13, 2013, 11:46:54 pm
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Hi everybody, I need your help!
Until now, we've been using a seconds quality "QPS" dog bath for our ducks, which I bought from Ebay:
(http://www.qps-pets.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/ducks1.jpg)
Now, I won't knock this, since it's worked very well indeed. However, it's a bit tall for our ducks, and currently only one will go up the wee ramp I made and have a swim. The rest just hang about the side and drink, but struggle to get their heads fully immersed. This is hardly ideal, since I feel I have to leave a small bucket of water out too so they can preen and blow their noses properly.
So, I went on the lookout for something a bit shallower, and the best I could find was this cement mixing tray from Homebase:
(http://www.homebase.co.uk/wcsstore/homebase/images//832700HBO111111M.jpg)
This wasn't cheap by any means (£18.50), but I hoped it would last a while. Unfortunately when I tried to empty it out this morning the cold had made it too brittle, and I cracked a large section off the rim.
So, I'm now looking for something of a similar size but hopefully a bit more robust in the cold. Any suggestions folks? :idea:
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A sheep foot bath? Not cheap but nice and sturdy :D
http://www.molevalleyfarmers.com/mvf/store/products/jfc-sheep-footbath-24m (http://www.molevalleyfarmers.com/mvf/store/products/jfc-sheep-footbath-24m)
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we use a sheep footbath too, and it is filled by rain water from the shed roof and emptied whenever it gets dirty also for dotting around the yard shallow trugs for a fiver
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We use childrens sand pits (Hippo / Tortoise etc) with a wooden ramp up on two sides. The green hippo shape is more sturdy than the pink shell type. Our muscovys & Aylesburys have no problems. Having guttering & pipe from the shed roof going into the pool also helps keep it topped up.
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For smaller ducks Lakeland do a sort of washing up bowl with a plug in the bottom. You could also take a saw to an old water butt.
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Hi,I have the same bath as you,I sunk it in the ground them just pump the dirty water onto my flower beds.
Graham.
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Good idea Marches Farmer!
My goats feeding troughs are made from blue barrels that I split in half lengthwise. Even the pigs couldn't destroy them!
If you found a way to stop them rocking they would be ideal :thumbsup:
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We do exactly the same as Fairhaven and we found a cast iron bath in the woods that we lugged down the hill ( in 30 degrees) and dug it into the ground.
We cover the deep bath when we have ducklings and the wooden pallets ( and some bricks inside the "sandpit" pool means ducklings can get in and out with little risk of drowning.
Sandpit - water can be changed without too much fuss.
bath - we have to pump it out then clean it and refill from our large water butt.
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Good ideas folks - keep them coming!
Graham - I did think about sinking the bath into the ground a bit, but I like to move it about so the area around it doesn't get too mucky. Also it's far easier just to tip it out than pump the water away. For those of you who do pump it, what kind of pump do you use?
The washing up bowl looks a bit small, but if I could find a slighly shorter sheep bath, that would work. Free or cheap is good of course, but I don't mind spending a cash on something that's going to last.
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The bath we sunk was one of those short but deep ones shaped as a seat ( from the distant past). Hard work but the ducks love a dip in it.
PUMP - we got it from Homebase for about £10.99 !! the hose cost £19.99 ! and the mains extension lead was about the same. Not a great solution for you but then we needed a pump to irrigate the garden from a stream and empty the soakaway in the winter.
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We normally visit local car boot sales / charity shops an purchase baby baths there are a variety out there and are ideal for our ducks, whilst the geese love the paddling pool we bagged at another sale.
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Hi,I sunk mine in the ground and then concreted around it slopping it towards the bath,I then hose all the muck into the bath then pump all the waist away.
I bought the cheapest dirty water pump I could get from screw fix.
Graham.
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I use the QSB dog bath and have some logs and a ramp I made ducks love it
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Our ducks have a kiddies Turtle sand pit, sturdy and serves the purpose.
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I have a paddling pool similar to this as a little pond http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3653241.htm (http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3653241.htm)
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I've got the same dog bath as well and sunk it down in the summer. Mine has a plug in it so I can reach in and pull that out and let some of the water drain out before tipping out the rest. All worked well until November time when I had to take it out of the run for obvious, muddy reasons. It's currently out on the field so they have access to it when they're free ranging and I've put a range of crates/ramps around it so the geese and ducks can get in and out. Strangely one of the ducks can get in without needing to stand on anything whereas the geese need to work their way up to it (even though they've found a way of flopping into the plastic trug that's still in their run). Anyhow, it will go back in again once life dries out a bit and in the meantime I just have a plastic washing up bowl and the garden trug in with them for head washing purposes (although the washing up bowl is rubbish because it gets turned over early in the day and is prone to frost damage as you've found). Cattle foot baths look great for smaller ducks but wouldn't do for my geese who absolutely love the dog bath so it's staying!
H
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I also used the shell shaped sand pit and paddling pool and my ducks had no problems getting in and out. they were big birds though. Easy to clean and no problems with frost as yet.
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I think ours are just weird. We only have three at the moment, and whilst one goes up the wee ramp and has a swim every morning, the other two never bother with the dog bath. They did love the cement tray though, which is why I'm looking for a more robust replacement.
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We have a turtle sandpit. Free from a friend, the ducks love it. Look on free cycle
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We got a sturdy rectangular "tank" about 70cm x 45cm from Lakeland that was designed for soaking oven shelves or something similar that I don't do. Our pond has a sloping bank of flattish stones about 5cm across that the (wild) ducks walk on quite easily and which keep the ground from getting mucky and muddy.
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I'd use a blue plastic barrel (just cos we still have some Womble, I'm sure I could spare you one ;)) cut a cross section lengthways, slightly less than half so you've got a shallower area and stop it tipping by screwing it (along the very top to stop the water leaking) to some longer lengths of wood. Or, if you didn't want the wood, dig a hole and line it with sand to support it (the sand wouldn't stick to it like mud does and makes it easier to lift and empty)
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We used these, because for the money you get two ponds for the ducks. http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3650691.htm (http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3650691.htm)
In fact, we still have at least one half left, and don't have any ducks, so if you want one to try out.... You're welcome to it.
We use the dog bath for a water trough in the goats field.
Beth
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We use paddling pool from Argos shaped like a shell also. You get two for fifteen pounds. My son likes the other!
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we have the same as ballingall, (ours are pink lol)the ducks had one and the geese had the other..( before we moved to our new place where they have the stream and large pond). Now they are used for any ducklings that are born we just have a log at either side and a brick inside so they can get in and out easier, we have had our for 3 yrs now and not had any problems with the frost.
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I also used the shell shaped sand pit and paddling pool and my ducks had no problems getting in and out. they were big birds though. Easy to clean and no problems with frost as yet.
same here, the kids' old sandpit works a treat. Easy to tip over and clean, too, takes about 8 buckets of water, which is enough for them to have fun in. :&>
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we use a trug for them to drink out of and an old berry barrel that i cut down to the depth i wanted with my grinder , we use the bottom of the barrel but could do the same with the top with the lid on , makes a very ridged bath for them and free from a berry farm