digging a pond

[wiggy]

As im the gardener here i have decided the ducks shouldnt have to waddle off to the next field to go for a dip so im building them a pond!

Can anyone tell me how to go about this? I've started digging already and there will be a few little bridges in it e.g tree roots but thats ok lol

thanks x

[chadspad]

Dig it as big as u can and as deep as u can. Line it with something like old carpet (this is what we did) which stops any stones puncturing the linet and then put in your liner. Get the best liner u can for the money u have as it will have a good guarantee. Fill with water, let ducks have swim! Voila

[marshlander]

Here's a link from the BBC for a wild life pond for the garden. http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/wil ... t.shtml?24

Just don't expect it to look pretty if the ducks are allowed in it!


We made a beautiful pond at our previous house until I decided ducks would look lovely paddling about on it - well, they turned it into a midden! They ate just about everything including the waterlilies, root and all. We had three ducks and the pond was about 25 x 10 feet x 4ft deep.

What we learnt from our pond was that 3 - 4 feet deep was good as they can dive.

We should have had a way of flushing through the filthy water - an overflow or something.

Don't try to have water lillies or fish in the same pond - the ducks eat them. (Prolly eat any wildlife too!)

[chadspad]

Mums ducks eat the frogs by pulling them apart in a battle of strength. Revolting!!

[marshlander]

See!

Ah, and on another thread.... http://www.selfsufficientish.com/forum/ ... highlight=.

[Millymollymandy]

Don't try to have water lillies or fish in the same pond - the ducks eat them. (Prolly eat any wildlife too!)

Oh so that's where my poor moorhens have disappeared to!!! In the greedy pigs' bellies!!!

Yes they eat everything and completely destroy the banks of your pond/lake too. Mine's collapsing on the tidy lawn end. I have now learnt not to clear the brambles down by the water's edge as well.

[chadspad]

M3, just a thought when u said about your banks collapsing - u havent got ragadans have u? Thats probably not the right spelling but those musk-rat big things with orange teeth. We have them in our pond and theyve destroyed the banks as they bury into them. They are a huge problem where we are and the mairie encourages people to shoot them or to call the man out to catch them and dispose of them.

[marshlander]

Don't try to have water lillies or fish in the same pond - the ducks eat them. (Prolly eat any wildlife too!)

Oh so that's where my poor moorhens have disappeared to!!! In the greedy pigs' bellies!!!

You're wicked mmm! I meant frog spawn, fish fry and so on!

[Millymollymandy]

M3, just a thought when u said about your banks collapsing - u havent got ragadans have u? Thats probably not the right spelling but those musk-rat big things with orange teeth. We have them in our pond and theyve destroyed the banks as they bury into them. They are a huge problem where we are and the mairie encourages people to shoot them or to call the man out to catch them and dispose of them.

Ragondin (coypu) - yes we get a couple in the summer but they and the muskrats nest up the stream, so it's not their nests, although the muskrats did spend some time nibbling around at that end of the pond.

I feel it is the combination of 2 drought summers where the pond level went down by 5 or 6 feet then a wet summer when the level didn't go down at all which actually caused the banks to start sinking down into the pond.

This bit of the pond is not propped up by loads of big rocks like the rest of the bit that was made bigger by the previous owner - the rest of the pond just sits on natural bedrock round the outside of it.

The sad thing is I have daffies and irises which are almost submerged under water now!

[Millymollymandy]

Don't try to have water lillies or fish in the same pond - the ducks eat them. (Prolly eat any wildlife too!)

Oh so that's where my poor moorhens have disappeared to!!! In the greedy pigs' bellies!!!

You're wicked mmm! I meant frog spawn, fish fry and so on!

I still think they have left because of the ducks. It's really sad because we've loved seeing them building their nests in summer (they build at least 4 before they decide where they're going to lay the eggs!) and then watch the babies hatch and mature.