[Womble]

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:



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:


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? 

[colliewoman]

A sheep foot bath? Not cheap but nice and sturdy
http://www.molevalleyfarmers.com/mvf/store/products/jfc-sheep-footbath-24m

[hexhammeasure]

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

[fairhaven]

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.

[Marches Farmer]

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.

[graham-j]

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.

[colliewoman]

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

[MAK]

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.

[Womble]

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.

[MAK]

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.

[CaroleBulmer]

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. 

[graham-j]

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.

[Carl f k]

I use the QSB dog bath and have some logs and a ramp I made ducks love it

[Fowlman]

Our ducks have a kiddies Turtle sand pit, sturdy and serves the purpose.

[YorkshireLass]

I have a paddling pool similar to this as a little pond  http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3653241.htm