Make A Pond For Your Ducks
Ducks tend to look somewhat ‘clumsy’ due to their walking, but they reveal their natural elegance when swimming freely, and their body is perfectly adapted to aquatic life. They enjoy the water enormously, so you can make a pond for your ducks.
Before giving up the idea of making a pond in your garden, due to a supposed high budget, remember that you can do it with simple materials. Next, we will see step by step how to make a pond for your ducks :
Step 1: choose the ideal place to build a pond for your ducks
Ducks tend to spend long hours cleaning their body and their environment: they swim to clean themselves, exercise and have fun. For this reason, their upbringing preferably requires outdoor spaces, with a clean water source, such as a lake or pond.
It is also important that these domestic birds have a shelter on land, where they can rest and protect themselves. For them to have a ‘dry’ coat, it is best to buy chicken coops or rabbit hutches. Its dimensions should be determined by the space available in your home and, consequently, the number of ducks that can live there.
Before making the pond in the patio or garden, it will be essential to know where the gas pipes and electricity cables pass. That way, we will avoid possible accidents when digging and drilling in the wrong place. To obtain this information, it is enough to consult the corresponding electricity and gas companies. We must also avoid digging very close to a tree so as not to damage its roots.
If the idea is to make the pond on a large property, it may be necessary to consult the appropriate municipal authority. With this we find out if there are protected areas on the land or if the construction is legally approved.
Another fundamental aspect to define the location is to consider the solar incidence. Ponds need daily sunlight to prevent algae blooms, but excessive heat is also detrimental to bird life; it is about having good light, but also shade.
Step 2: acquire the necessary tools and materials
Before starting to build, it will be necessary to acquire some materials and tools to work safely and professionally. This list will help you when making a pond for your ducks of any species.
Materials:
- Sand
- Plastic / biodegradable material (burlap or newspaper)
- Staples
- Gravel / decorative stones
Tools:
- Shovel
- Hoe
- Wheelbarrow
- Stapler
- Scissors
Step 3: dig the hole to make the pond
After choosing the ideal location, it’s time to start digging for your merry companions’ pond. To do this, we will use the shovel to dig a pit approximately one meter deep. Then we will begin to make a gradual slope in the form of a step, which will allow the ducks to leave the pond.
When we finish digging, we must save the earth that we removed to make the hole ; this same earth will be used to make the edges of the pond. And before moving on to the next step, we will remove the sharp stones or any residue found at the bottom of the dug pit.
Step 4: lining the dug hole
After cleaning the bottom of the dug hole, we can cover it with a layer of sand of approximately 10 centimeters. Then, we compact the sand by stepping on it firmly, to later cover this layer with the plastic
Another more sustainable and safer option is to apply a layer of biodegradable material over the layer of sand (instead of plastic): for this, you can use newspaper. On this material, we will apply a layer of sealant for ponds; In garden stores we can find several brands of sealants.
Step 5: fill the pond for your ducks
When the applied sealant is completely dry, we will begin to fill the pond. For this, we can use well water, spring or directly from the hose ; It is always important to leave a few centimeters unfilled so that the water does not overflow.
Step 6: finishing the pond for your ducks
When we have completed the five ‘basic’ steps, we can think about the completion of the pond. In the last steps, we will use the soil that we keep around the pond to prevent the water from overflowing easily.
We can also use the natural grass removed from the dug surface, to give a more natural appearance to the edge of the pond. In addition, it is possible to use gravel and decorative stones to decorate the interior and exterior of the pond for your ducks.
