Sealing a pond with ducks, permaculture style!

In this video I seal a natural clay pond with ducks, the permaculture way!
This pond has been built with a compacted clay berm, with no liner. Major rain events fill the pond and allow it to seep slowly to the landscape, increasing our resilience to drought. But when full, the pond tends to seep the top foot or so of water fairly quickly. If we could slow that seepage a little, the pond would perform even better.
The conventional permaculture solution is to use ducks to seal the pond, but keeping ducks in an ecosystem pond isn't always the best practice.
In this video I demonstrate the method I use to make an amazing pond even better.
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[@CraigsOverijse]

If you want to have ducks up there you can use a battery operated poutry house pop up door opener, we neverhad to get up early to let our chucks out would easily work on ducks, You can use timer or light levels for it to open or close

[@davidpritchett855]

If its a new pond I've heard of folks laying out hay and putting pigs in. Another method was using an area as the nightly pen for sheep or cows so that they crush the hay into ground to create something like a cob mixrure

[@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture]

I completely agree, keeping animals in it is an amazing way to seal a pond. In this instance though I just want to add a little sealing to an existing ecosystem. Adding ducks really works too. My duck pond holds water amazingly well.

[@aaronnauer2398]

​@@CairnOfDunnCroftPermacultureI'm wanting to seal a pond for my ducks do I just keep refilling the dug out area until their poo seals it?

[@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture]

@@aaronnauer2398 that's one way, but if you just keep them in the pond their manure will build up and seal it.

[@MyFamilyGarden]

Very clever little trick

[@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture]

It's really effective too, I've used it before.

[@annajane4719]

Thank you for a really informative video, with your clear explanation and with the additional notes below it. Such a beautiful setting and a wonderful meadow. That pond looks like it will support a diversity of wildlife and it's great that duck poo has yet another use!

[@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture]

I have plans for at least three more ponds, one of them will be whopper!

[@spidrespidre]

Neat work.

[@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture]

Thanks!

[@rkl3692]

Thank you for the great video!🙏

[@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture]

Thanks!

[@TheMattyg02]

Great content, my friend!

[@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@koicaine1230]

This is brilliant

[@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture]

Thank you!

[@chris-terrell-liveactive]

Useful video, thank you, I've learned something new about the properties of duck poo too! :)

[@Adnancorner]

I think you can plant japanese cold variety bamboo around the pond like in bamboo islands to give cover for the ducks.... and certain kind of vegetation that help the ducks to protect themselves... but i think it is not the poop that seal the pond but the bacteria that form the slimy coat that stop the water leaking

[@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture]

I don't want ducks on this pond, for the reasons I explained in the video. It isn't a duck pond. Yes, as I explained, it's the biofilm growing on the nutrient that also contributes to the sealing.

[@LeChristEstRoi]

Bamboos, thick brush... won't provide cover against terrestrial predators. Foxes, pine martens...will get into it as if it was nothing. But good against raptor though.

[@miklostompa12]

There are very good mobil electric fence nets which you can set up and move easily and I haven't got any predator issues with that

[@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture]

I have some for my other poultry and it's great, but this pond is a long way from the electric. I could go with solar, but it's all cost.

[@gardentours]

I found your channel on edible acres. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture]

Edible acres is the best permaculture channel on KZbin, in my opinion. I love their work. Our contexts are fairly similar though, I'd imagine quite a few people who watch them would enjoy our videos. At least, that's what I aspire to!

[@chrishawkins1429]

Would any kind of animal manure work? I’m trying to build a pond so my pot belly can cool off and got plenty of pig poop around!

[@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture]

With a pot belly, the best option is to just let it into the pond! Pigs make great pond builders. Their feet compact the earth, and their manure helps seal it.

[@austinjohnson4890]

Hey I bought a chicken coop door that's automatic and solar recharging for about 50$ and it's been working great for a year. If you really want ducks you could buy one of those systems? I don't recommend ducks though.

[@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture]

I do keep ducks, just not on that pond.

[@JenniferThomas-r4k]

As there can be all kinds of uses and purposes of a pond, does naturally sealing work for all of those applications? For example, the use you describe here is the most common I hear for permaculture, but some farmers want to allow their livestock access to a pond in the hot times of the year? Could livestock such as goats, horses, and cattle use naturally lined ponds? Would there need to be time between applying duck manure and their access to the pond(s)? I know goats can get salmonella. A different example is having a pond for human recreation. Would it be best to use a synthetic liner in those? I know people can definitely get salmonella. Or, perhaps a pond can still be built and sealed this way, and then have a pump added to a biofiltration system and with enough time between establishment via duck sealing - could it safely be swum in?

[@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture]

I'd generally keep ponds for livestock and ponds for human use separate, for health reasons. In terms of giving livestock access to ponds directly, it is often done but I'd be a little wary because of the potential damage to the pond's edge. I'd be more likely to use a small pump to cycle the water through a trough, overflowing back to the pond.

[@publicdomain3378]

I know i know, its been years... a power drill with a mixing bit could come in really handy on your farm

[@junningwee8724]

Does the poo have to be fresh or can it be aged and mixed into compost?

[@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture]

Fresh is best for this, I think.

[@sleepersix]

Is sealed now?

[@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture]

Yes, it holds water longer. It'll likely hold it even longer after the geese have been on it a while.

[@BrionSargent]

Cow manure will work if that’s all I have?

[@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture]

It's certainly worth a try!

[@VirtualBroyhill-vk4tr]

I'm just making a small pond about, 8 by 6 ft. I have it dug out and have no idea how to seal it. Can anyone help me? I'm in East Tennessee and I have clay rich soil. Thanks in advance! 🙂🌞

[@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture]

There are a few techniques you could research. Puddling clay, bentonite, or gleying the pond could all work, but it depends on your exact context.

[@michaelsorensen7567]

How long would you guess "over time" takes? You said you do this maybe once a month, would it take 3 months to halve the seepage or...? I'm sure as with most things patience is key, but just want to know "if it's not better after _____, time to look into other causes"

[@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture]

There are so many variables, such as amount of seepage and proportion of clay content, that it's difficult to give a definitive answer. For best sealing effect I'd keep the ducks on the pond for a couple of seasons to see if it helped. If after that it wasn't helping I'd look at other options such as bentonite.

[@buckaroobonzai2909]

Put the outhouse on the island and have it disperse into the pond. 2 birbs 1 stone.

[@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture]

I don't think that would be a very good idea.

[@ORIGINALCRESTED]

Like #510

[@tennesseetexan1957]

I would think this would cause a lot of algae growth in the water. I wouldn’t want that as I want to have koi fish that I can see in clear water.

[@jasonschannel9017]

Wouldn't koi eat the algae?

[@panatypical]

Yeah makes sense it's the duck poop that seals the pond, so to keep your ducks safe and have the least amount of work, collect the poop and bring it out to the pond. Let the martens find other food options.

[@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture]

And it really works well!

[@Factory051]

I wonder if you could track down a cheap tripod at some point to save you struggling with the camera one handed.

[@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture]

I have a couple of tripods, the problem is I'm limited by the length of the mic cable. A mic is essential because I always need a 'dead cat' to suppress the wind noise.

[@Factory051]

@@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture ah yes. Very good point. Challenging environment to film in.

[@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture]

@@Factory051 I've just invested in a wireless transmitter, which should make things easier.

[@chris-terrell-liveactive]

@@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture i sometimes use some open cell foam, salvaged from some packaging, as a wind muffler on my phone (held by a couple of rubber bands around the phone) or wrapped around the headset mic that came with the phone (makes a workable budget lapel mic).. they work very well. hope that helps.

[@alnewer8280]

I wonder if chicken poo will work

[@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture]

I've not tried it, but I'd say it's definitely worth a try.

[@TheMattyg02]

May I ask what your experiences with sealing a pond with ducks over the winter time? Does it have the same affect? Or should you wait for the warmer seasons to use the ducks? Thank you so much.

[@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture]

I've not done it, but a good thick layer of duck manure should help in any weather, I'd expect.

[@TheMattyg02]

@@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture thanks friend

[@emohuman9898]

Can you use chicken manure as well?

[@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture]

I've not tried it myself, but it's certainly worth trying!

[@RussellDeacon]

could you use cat shit ;) my gardens full of that.

[@wollschweinriddim606]

or use human poop😅🤢