What are you using for the lining?

@jdubose I live on a sand spit on the Washington coast. We are all sand here. No dirt or rocks. I would suggest old blankets, straw, sand or premade padding.

Thanks

@jdubose Missed your question entirely. The liner should be EPDM liner for ponds.

I bought a prefabricated pond. It is just a small area and I just wanted one big enough to make my ducks happy. I don't know whether I will need to put anything under the pond itself. I haven't gotten that far yet. The soil here is quite stable.

Yes, I already have the ducks. They are still babies and living in their pond liner/pen in my TV room at the moment. I looked into Cayuga ducks, but could not get any locally.

I got one Rouen and one Khaki Campbell. This pic was taken shortly after I got them. They have grown a lot since then. My grand kids named them Chocolate Chip and Lemon Pudding...aka Chip and Puddin.

I was warned that ducks are messy; and, they are VERY messy. I am constantly changing their water and cleaning their pen. I am going to have a main pond that is 125 gallons, along with a waterfall type set up; and I will have a filter. And, as with my chickens, they will be allowed to roam around the property.

Fortunately, I have a son-in-law who will help me as I need.

@Joanne They are messy! When the zoo ''rescued'' two Cayugas, I was one of a team which helped ''socialize'' them with humans. They hopped all over me! SO much fun! But, they also pooped all over me! Still, they're just charming! Here in So. Calif, we haven't seen garden snails in several years (SIGH--) but your ducks will certainly help if you have a snail problem! Meal worms are huge favorites, too! Good luck! (Nothing's much cuter than ducklings!)

@LucyLoohoo Yes, I look forward to them helping with the snail issue. And, as for the meal worms, I give my babies a small daily treat of them--and they go crazy for them. As they are still babies, I give them sparingly.

@Joanne This'll be so much fun for you! Where do they sleep?

@LucyLoohoo For now, they are in my TV room. I am using the 125 gallon pond liner I bought as their nursery.

The pond area will be fenced and is going to include a coop for them to use. When they are fully grown, they will be able to wander around outside the fenced area, if they should so choose.

@Joanne Hawks will take them, as well as foxes, bob-cats, coyotes...even a hungry raccoon. Just remember they need a closed coop. Not to be the voice of doom...but I AM the voice of experience. You'll do the right thing...I know that.

Thanks for the advice.

I have thought about that. I will have a secure coop next to the pond for them (as I do for my chickens inside their 10 x 10 protected run).

Their pond will be nestled between the well house and my work shop and will be fenced. I doubt they will go far from there when they are allowed to roam around a bit. There is always a lot of activity around here during the day and they will have a safe/secure place to sleep at night.

I am only fifty feet outside the city limits, so it is not all that rural. I have never seen any foxes, bob-cats, raccoons etc around here. Although, I have seen possums and must be aware of that. Hawks are seen occasionally; so far they have gone after the Asian Collard Doves around here--they are plentiful and smaller.

I know there is a risk to letting them roam around, but I just cannot bring myself to keep them confined to a small space all the time.

@Joanne Once they're habituated to your routine..know where they're fed...and safe...calling them in at night or in cold/rainy weather won't be a problem. You'll have so much fun! Ducks are sassy, smart and very, very cool!

@LucyLoohoo I look forward to having them around. I tend to get very attached to my pets, so I will do all I can to keep them safe .

So far, I have been lucky in that none of the roots have been very thick; and, more luckily, no slabs of rock . I wish there were another spot for the pond, but this is the only place that makes sense. And, I will be able to see it from my kitchen window and back porch.