What type of pond is best for your ducks? I’ve tried several variations, from the ‘high-end’ to the budget.

Fancy Backyard Duck Pond

you will need:

• Heavy duty pond liner (will last around 4 years until it starts cracking)
• Pond Pump (you can get a good deal on Amazon)
• River sand (sold at Home Depot)
• Peices of wood panel

For this type of pond, I dug a 7ft x3 ft x 4ft deep trench.  The bigger and deeper you can build your pond, the better it will be for your ducks as the water can get polluted very quickly.

I then placed the pond liner inside the hole and cut the edges so it would fit snugly. River sand was poured on top to keep the liner in place. Fill it up with water, add the pump and hose and give it a run to make sure the water is pumping smoothly. As an added touch, you can nail the panels together to create a nice frame and keep the pond liner from slipping inwards. Lake plants will keep the water cleaner and provide entertainment and nutrition. My ducks enjoy sea lettuce and duck weed. I had minnows that lived many generations. Be warned, though! Depending on how messy your ducks are and how big your pond is, it can become toxic very quickly. Toxic ponds can cause Botulism outbreaks – I’ve seen a lot of people report problems with their ducks looking lethargic and then suddenly falling over dead.

It is for this reason, after my backyard duck pond deteriorated, that I now only buy plastic play ponds from Walmart ($10 each). The former pond has been converted into a fertile Papaya tree garden. The trick about the kiddie play ponds is to buy two and stack them on top of each other for stability. I place my pond between two citrus trees. The duck poop / constant water supply causes the trees to produce wonderfully sweet fruit. You can alternatively buy one large heavy duty painting bin from Home Depot, they are basically indestructible, and a nice neutral black color. The water should be dumped out every 2-3 days to keep it pristine.

Ducks can also swim in chlorine pools without getting sick. I occasionally let my ducks have a go, as chlorine is good for killing feather parasites. However, it’s a ton of work to clean up the poop, which becomes a sand at the bottom of the pool. In the summer time, the poop causes severe algae blooms. Once, I went on vacation for 2 weeks and my ducks broke into the pool (we have a 3 foot mini fence to keep them out). The water turned BLACK.