Duck Pooh, smingy gold!!

[V8Granite]

So, as everyone knows Duck pooh is great for plants. The problem is the duck pooh collection.

So we marked a hole….



Then dig a hole, build up and level the sides….



Add 750 litres of water, I’m a nerd, I checked, and some clay tiles, reclaim rocks, rockery plants, lots of gravel….



Organise a rescue boat should a duck die mid swim, harpoon to be added….



The water is kept clean by the water filter which uses UV and a series of sponge filters. You clean the filter by closing the return, opening the By-Pass to the new water butt, pumping the handle a few times, this then transfers all the pooh along with about 25 litres of water to the butt. When it runs clear return the valves to normal.



Greta just emailed me to say that I’m single handedly saving the planet and Captain Planet gave me a certificate.

Dave!

[DeskJockey]

That's quacking good effort.

[Mito Man]

Like that
Do ducks only poo in water?

[V8Granite]

Sadly not, they have around 3 swims a day though and pooh all over the grass.

It’s very crumbly or liquid though so some kind of radio controlled pooper scooper wouldn’t work.

Dave!

[RobYob]

That's quackers (in a good way)

[mik]

Nice work Dave

Ours have a 120cm diameter paddling pool that goes in their run (ie the area they stay in when not free roaming) - it gets emptied and refilled every day (I installed a drain to facilitate this).

[V8Granite]

That’s pretty much the set-up we had, ducks loved it but with our clay soil in winter after 1 duck had jumped in it was pretty fowl (fnar) and that same soil couldn’t handle a tub being emptied on it so much during winter. No drain at the back of the house.

We also got 6 Koi yesterday as apparently they would be fine in there with them, time will tell.

Dave!

[jamcg]

Hopefully the ducks will put off herons coming to visit, as garden ponds are an easy source of food for them. The fish, one might say, are sitting ducks

[mik]

soil couldn’t handle a tub being emptied on it so much during winter. No drain at the back of the house.

Same - installing approx 9m of drainage channel was the only way for us to continue with our setup. Am interested in your cleaning tech though.....

[V8Granite]

https://www.waterzoo.co.uk/shop/Pontec ... 000-M10628

I wanted something simple and foolproof to clean without needing to split a filter and clean foams etc. other similar systems are about which do a good job.

I hate waste so easily being able to use it is brilliant.

Dave!

[V8Granite]

So the duck pooh is officially rocket fuel!

My parents garden, our garden, both my in laws garden and a friends tomatoes are growing like mad .







Trying to get another 200 litres of water butt down the side of the extension. Plus building another bog filter in a raised bed at the other end of the pond as we can grow some more plants feeding on just the pooh.

Pooh water production shall be increased!!

Dave!

[Gavster]

That's pretty damn awesome! Do the duck mainly pooh in the pond?

[Mito Man]

I want to know the logistics of operation pooh. Do you have oil drums of the stuff you take to friends/family?

[V8Granite]

That's pretty damn awesome! Do the duck mainly pooh in the pond?

They pooh all over but there is a good amount going into the pond.

Every other day I do a filter clean, you just switch the valves and pump the handles. I fill a 25 litre water container each time and a couple of minutes into the water butt.

I sometimes have 150 litres of liquid gold , I have about 100 litres a week easily and can have more if I want it.

There is an embarrassing amount of joy coming from this, should get a better hobby.

I’ll make a big filter in the next few weeks and grow pond plants with it too.

Dave!

[Mito Man]

You might be able to do straight up hydroponics with it. Kratky method would be simple. Then again you don't do veggies so ignore me

[V8Granite]

Vegetables will be for when we have any creatures that eat them in the house

Dave!

[V8Granite]

So I added a bog filter as I want to add some plants to the water but the ducks would destroy them.

So original pump feeding into a big tub, Scottish cobbles in the bottom and then gravel till the overflow. The Pooh and crap is filtered by the stones which the plant rots then feed off. So a good root system and no soil needed at all.



This is the water out of the mechanical filter….



This is from the bog filter….



I’ll grow a few things in this tub and see how I get on. Already thinking how big the pond could be at our next place.

It’s a bit tragic how much joy this gives me!

Dave!

[Gavster]

I was on a chicken keeping course last week and they were talking about the power of chicken and duck pooh as fertiliser due to the nitrogen content.

I’m now eyeing up Pekin Bantams for later in the year

[Mito Man]

Also looking at chickens but done no proper research. The pheasants have been a piece of cake to look after so can’t see why chickens would be any different. I quite like the giant breeds though. I think having a flock of 16lb chickens would be a glorious sight

[V8Granite]

Do it!

It’s so relaxing seeing nature do its thing.

Dave!