Should consider moving the duck enclosure to the edge of the pound. Extend the enclosure to add a small section of the pound for the ducks to enjoy. Place screening that allows small fish though, but keeps the ducks from diving under and out of the enclosure. Less stress on the ducks and less upkeep to providing fresh clean water every single day. Happy ducks equals great hatching success
I've been watching from the start too, he said he was going to say what the total cost was, but I can't recall ever seeing that, wondering if I missed it?
If you have the money, you can do a lot of shit. If there’s something you think you can’t buy, you probably need even more money. “Oh no, my mom has dementia, guess I’ll have to dump trillions into finding the cure”.
I think you would be surprised just how many water bodies (in the USA at least) that you use have been man made. A lot of water sheds were desgined created and run by the US Army Corp of engineers for military reasons. Not even "war" per se but you want to have access to water to fight forest fires and whatnot.
pretty much just digging a big hole and putting down a less water permeable layer if the water table is far below what was dug/naturally fast draining soil
@@prcervi yeah. We have the ability to restore ecosystems just as how we can destroy them. Like if we put a lot of work into it we could end up with an overwhelming amount of reefs, forest, ponds, lakes ect. in a few centuries. We would even start to see new species and species we thought were extinct in abundance.
Hey, the duck’s egg fertility question is something I may sort of be able to speak to. Since all the ducks are yearlings (I believe) you’d expect egg fertility to be pretty low, somewhere between 5-10%, the fact that they had limited choice in mates could reduce this even further depending on whether or not they’re a “compatible” pair. That said, once they reach adulthood you’d be expecting fertility as high as 80% if they happen to be a good match down to around 20% if they’re not. Ducks will also not begin to sit on their eggs until the entire clutch has been laid (up to about 10 days) and will continue to sit on her clutch until she believes that all the eggs in it are unviable or the eggs hatch (roughly a month after she starts sitting on the clutch).
Agreed, ducks can take from 29-31 days. Usually after 30 days if there has been some hatching the mother duck will take her ducklings and abandon the nest, leaving the nonviable eggs.
I have been following this since the beginning. This was something I actually looked forward to watching. Thank you for all of this! I can't wait to see more!
This project is without doubt the most interesting I’ve seen on RU-vid. Not just the pond but the wildlife you have living and visiting the farm too. Thank you so much for sharing this. I’ve enjoyed every episode.
Big day! Stocking the pond. Just imagine how fun it’s going to be in 10 years when we all get to watch you and your family catch those 10 pounders. Glad I’m here for the journey.
Generally if the female duck prepares a nest and begins tending to them their is a great chance they are fertile. If she abandons them then typically not
Hearing that for the first time, it makes complete sense. Ofcourse the duck laying the egg would know if it's fertile or not. That being said, it's definitely a fact I wouldn't come to on my own since I've never raised ducks or given it much thought.
A chicken doesn’t know if they are fertile or not. Have had chickens sit on eggs and half were not fertile. Have had to break a hen from sitting. Think it is how much the hen has that momma wants babies. Just saying.
They can still be fertile if she isn’t sitting on them, they just won’t develop more than a couple days. If she makes a nest that just means she wants to hatch out a clutch. But that doesn’t mean the eggs she sits on are fertile. I’ve had chickens that go broody without having roosters, it usually lasts a couple weeks and they break from it if the eggs don’t hatch.
An idea for the far future. Once bass begin to be an average of let’s say 3-4lbs in the new pond, you should use your remaining tanks at home and backyard pond as a full time hatchery. It would be the same process that you did with Moby. I would personally love to get a close eye view of the growth of a bass while you increasingly put them in a bigger tank, eventually putting them in the backyard pond, then finally the ole Crimson Oak!
I just wanted to say thank you for sharing this with us. It has become a regular Sunday evening thing for me and my family. We all sit down and watch all of the progress and nature. I can’t tell you how much we enjoy something so clean and wholesome, some weeks we will go back half a dozen videos and rewatch. God bless you and your family.
Congratulations on stocking the pond! It's great seeing how it attracts all the local wildlife. Have y'all thought about putting out some floating plants or even a floating raft of plants? It would help shade the pond in summer so it doesn't get too hot and it would give the little ones some hiding places so they can grow up and be bigger meals for your bass. This is all so exciting. Thanks for sharing.
You should stock the pond with a bunch of bullfrog tadpoles. Not only will they they a constant yearly source of food for the bass but once they get big enough they'll add that nice atmosphere to your pond. Also if amphibians thriving are a good indicator that the water quality is good
As your pond-side trees are still young/small, perhaps you could raise up a post/flag pole to provide your owls, daytime hawks a place to perch? Maybe with a crossbar, branch at the top? If and when you and family, friends are out at the pond - 4th of July - you could actually raise up a flag, but primarily it'd be for the flying hunters. Just a thought. (Might be useful to set some attachment points for a Go-Pro camera or two to have an elevated view of the pond area daytime/nighttime. Do you have any Kingfishers visiting the pond yet? Herons, other aquatic feeding birds, wildlife? (I'd swear a young wildlife biologist student would appreciate the opportunity to make a study - over time - of your pond. Perhaps from Alabama State? Univ of Alabama?) Great video series.
Love this series, not just as a fisherman but as a wildlife enthusiast. I would love to see some lily pads to provide shade and cover, but also because there is always a feeling of expectation when fishing around lily pads and also reed beds. We’ll be sure to keep watching over here in the UK as the pond develops and matures. You’ve done a great job. 👍
We have a pond here , of about 2 acres. I've been stocking it with bass that I catch from rivers and lakes close by. They transport easily, and I've had zero mortalities. So far I've put 30 adult bass in there. It's a fun, ongoing project
I'm from the UK, and we don't normally get to see large ponds like this being built on farmland. This has been a fantastic build, and thanks for taking us along with you. I agree with some of the other comments about some vegetation along the pond's edge, and i'm sure it's something that you will be thinking about.
THAT WAS ME THAT COMMENTED ABOUT THE NIGHT CAMERA NEXT TO THE DEER FEED!!! as if you actually did haha . over the moon about that, I’m literally sat at home in a place called Fleetwood in the UK watching all your videos and never did I think you’d read and ending doing something I suggested on the comment thats awsome.. very envious of your pond 😆
A tree house for kids would be a fun project. Not only for your daughter but any other children coming to visit as well. Just a thought. Love these videos, have enjoyed the full pond build and all of your videos. Keep them coming! 😁
@@cathleencrawley4610 - When you live on the farm it’s very common and just the way it is, the parents take the kids over and visit! My ranch was 8800 acres and there were a half dozen ranches larger than that! The kids always got together. Sleep overs, everything! The parents make sure they can get together! The neighbours also know each other and in our case, we all got along. Some have retired and sold out, myself included, and we still get together. Heck!! There’s a dozen kids that still call me Uncle, but we are not related at all!! My wife and I couldn’t have kids, yet there were many, many weekends in the year we would have actual nieces and nephews out visiting, with it without their parents, and half a dozen neighbour kids there because they all became friends!! I have found a much better sense of community and comradeship in the country with people knowing each other, than in the house we have in the city! You say hi in the city and some people wonder what the h*ll you are doing! Or up to! We also have a home on an acreage a ways away from where we used to live (still 2 hours out from the city) and we weren’t there a week before all the neighbours came over, said hi and some friendships were developing!! We are on 2 acres of mountain side with a 5 acre lot beside us that is more of the valley and pasture with a 1 acre pond in it with a waterfall. That’s as close as I ever want to be near my neighbours, even if we visit every day!! Hahaha. Our house in the city is in a very expensive part of the city with 1/3 acre and the neighbours are snobs!! Country life is a great way to live if you can find a place to settle in.
That corrugated pipe will protect the trees, but be sure to take them off after the rut. Leaving them on can cause moisture or insect issues, and you won't be able to see the problem.
Yeah I was going to do the same thing for my fruit orchard until I found out about this, so I caged them. Alot more time and effort, but worth it in the long run
@Michael James Reed, I agree. I think I'm more looking forward to the underwater live feeds than the fishing. I want to see which of the various cover options are most popular and where fish congregate at various times and water temperatures. Will they use the pea gravel near the dock to spawn, or will it be elsewhere? How will the introduction of large predators (Moby, Bonnie and Clyde) affect these behaviors? There is a lot to see and learn here.
I think so too. Both terrestrial and aquatic vegetation will improve water quality. They will produce oxygen and absorb nutrients produced by the fish.
Any plans to add any reeds/horsetails around the edge of the pond? Out here the ducks and geese like to use horsetails and tule for cover. The bluegill and smaller bass do as well, along with other vegetation, because that’s where they’ll wait for insects to fall in the water.
Yeah, some shrubs and berry bushes would go well sprinkled around the edges especially on the far side so the roots add some strength to the dike walls.
No need to plant anything. The Canadian geese and wild ducks will bring plenty of vegetation to the pond. Much sometimes unwanted and invasive. But things like cattails, etc. will be brought in by the birds and waterfowl. By year 2 or 3, you'll be amazed at the water vegetation in this pond.
Man what a journey this has been I've been waiting for the day the fish go into the pond and it's finally here I know I'm late but still glad to watch the entire journey so far ! It's been real.
As an astrophotographer, Im pretty impressed with your views. You were able to catch a pretty sweet timelapse of the SW sky which included a lot in there. You can almost make out the Orion Nebula. I live in Mass and all I have is tons of tall pines on my horizon close to me so i dont have access to the views you do. Cant wait to move somewhere with a view like you have. As for the pond, def coming together great!
@@BamaBass that’s a pretty cool idea to get some of the most popular fishn utubers to bring a big bass with a tag . Maybe crazy thought but would be pretty cool
The “buzzards” are technically black vultures. They are slightly different from turkey vultures which have pink heads (like turkeys). They do the wing spread thing for different reasons. It does appear that in this case it’s a dominant posture, but they do it to dry their wings and I think to moderate their body temperature. I see them clustered on rooftops around the northern VA area with all of their wings spread like that facing the morning sun... I have enjoyed watching this series since I own a nuisance wildlife control company here in northern VA. I love watching the animals and how they are reacting to their changing environment and trying to figure out what animals are visiting at night.
I've seen the same thing in central Ohio. Every year around the same time as the buzzards are migrating hundreds of them fill the trees in our neighborhod and they all dry their wings in the morning. Pretty spooky, but interesting to watch.
Typically vultures will spread their wings to increase the surface area to warm up quicker or even to dry out in the mornings or after feeding. Keep up the awesome content!
Someone told me that vultures spread their wings to allow sunlight to kill parasites. I’m not entirely sure about that being a fact. I thought it was more about warming up or drying out.
I worked with vultures at the Los Angeles zoo for several years. They spread their wings and use the suns rays (UV specifically) to kill off bacteria and parasites they pick up from eating carrion.
Plant some trees 10 ft apart around certain parts of the pond it'll give shade for the bass so you can sidearm cast under the branches you'll attract more birds squirrels etc.
I was thinking we should plant Blueberry bush's and cattails and what not along a portion of the shoreline. Make it look a lot more natural and beautiful and gives shade like ypu were saying and more habitat for all kinds of wildlife
Consider erecting a 12 foot pool with a perch for the owl. Some lotus plants would look nice in the shallows. Easier to control spreading. Great footage of the old pond. I remember watching that build a while ago. Thanks.
The thing about duck eggs is they taste richer than chicken eggs, and someone with an egg allergy can eat duck eggs. I used to use them for baking, etc. Also, the eggs will not be fertile unless there is a male duck. If they is, they might become fertile, but that will lead to more ducks!! Great pond build!
You might want to put cow panels around the debris hood for the pipe. Beaver will eventually show up and try to plug that pipe up. They do it here in north Florida, so there is no reason why they wouldn't do it to your pond. Once they arrive, they will attack any overflow area in your pond including your pipe, plugging it with mud, grass, cattails and anything that will fit in those holes. They will also chew through the plastic frame to put larger sticks and what ever they can find. A cow panel barrier set a foot or more away from the plastic frame, will stop them. If you don't, you will have big problems getting that stuff out of your overflow pipe. An once of prevention...
They also do that when they are covered in blood and detritus to dry it so it will flake off. And sunning rids them of parasites. That one definitely looked to be warming up though.
This is been an incredible journey. Thank you very much for sharing. From the tank to the backyard pond to the 5 acre pond. I cannot wait to see the first 10 lb bass pulled out.
Congrats Bama!!!! Pop a bottle of Champagne with the misses and celebrate! No lie I hope I win or just get the chance to fish out there one day! Can’t wait to see more with the pond bama. Best wishes to you and your family from mine
My question is whether you have or have to in the future add plants to the pond. It feels like you need to provide something to get the natural food chain going, but perhaps that happens automatically with time. Some kind of aqua/landscaping would be pretty cool with the pond. I’m also really worried that Bonnie or Clyde gets poached by illegal fisherman or killed by predators. How do you plan to keep track of them?
just saw these videos by accident and really happy i did! this whole journey is fascinating. The only thing i want to add is how awesome this is for all the wildlife. For me the best part is seeing all the different animals enjoy this too. Really great work!
The Buzzards actually spread their wings to heat themselves up! He's absorbing UVB from the sun, and heating up his body. Their wings are like giant solar panels. 😊
If you want the duck hen to set on her eggs, she'll need a spot away from the traffic, a box separate from the rest of the enclosure. She won't set on them until she has a clutch ready.
@Jim Beck Where I grew up we call it 'setting' when a hen 'sets' on her eggs. I don't know why it's called setting, but I grew up in the country, Virginia, and I've never heard anyone say their hens were 'sitting' on the eggs.
@Jim Beck - Look at number 6! Definition of "setting" 1 : the manner, position, or direction in which something is set 2 : the frame or bed in which a gem is set also : style of mounting 3a : the time, place, and circumstances in which something occurs or develops b : the time and place of the action of a literary, dramatic, or cinematic work c : the scenery used in a theatrical or film production 4 : the music composed for a text (such as a poem) 5 : the articles of tableware for setting a place at table two settings of sterling silver 6 : a batch of eggs for incubation
If you could plant some native species of tree/bushes/plants to attract local bird life in the spring that would be awesome. Love seeing the birds that visit the pond area!
Great stuff! Beautiful to see it all come together. Project suggestion: have you thought about adding aquatic plants and around the pond? Could be a nice touch. Also can help improve the water quality, and provide the bait fish with more places to hide.
I think think that adding some sort of plant to the lond would be a good idea because not only would it look cool, it would provide places for both the bass and the baitfish to hide
When Greg the Pondguy gets there, he definitely go for the obligatory swim! He will have some good ideas for your plants for the edge of the pond. I love watching this grow!
I'd think that a zip line would be mandatory! The mice stealing all the nuts was fun to watch but 90% will be lost or go rotten. A feeder of some type would be more ideal. GREAT night video!! Really really cool!!
The mouse was fast at clearing that table and there are likely many in the field. From that time lapse I might doubt that nuts would be out long enough to rot.
Window clamps will work well for the drain cover also. Thanks for the vid we appreciate you guys and all tje great info that comes from these vids, the pond looks awesome i cant wait for more also God Bless you and the family.
This is crazy. Was literally just thinking about when you guys were going to post another video and maybe 5 mins later, I got the notification about this video. Love the videos.
Our pond is 119yrs old, so we took out a portion of the dam and brought in a 60' excavator and a dozer to clean it out and extend it. I recently had it measured, it's 3.2 acres and 22 acres/feet deep. I'm not sure how they get the depth, I have an island surrounded by shallows of about 4' and several ledges that average 9 to 12' with the area along the dam being a little deeper.
Acre feet is a measure of the volume rather than the depth. An acre-foot is enough water to cover 1 acre 1 foot deep. That means an average depth of 6.875 feet for your pond. That takes into account the shallows and the depths averaged together.
I enjoy watching your videos. I love seeing all that wildlife...those raccoons lol and the owls and the skunk when he shows up....REALLY GREAT! Glad to see the fish added❤️
Plant some Lilly pads. I’m not sure what species would be best in your area but water lilies: 1. Provide shelter for fish and shade to keep the water cool. 2. Water lilies provide safe spaces for frogs to perch on their leaves, hiding from underwater predators. 3. Lilies also produce natural oxygen that allows fish to breathe and beneficial bacteria to thrive!
Have you considered building a Pond Duck House? If you would, suggest you build one and then have you existing duck use it on the ground for a period of time. Not sure if you can modify your existing Duck house to use it in water. After they get used to the Pond Duck House, place it in the pond so the Ducks can swim in the pond and then use the Duck Pond house when necessary. You might have to trim the Ducks feathers so they won't immediately fly away.
First video ive seen of yours... its amazing how the animals all just commune together at night in peace... share the same pond... humans are horrible man, too much fighting. I subbed, I can tell you treat the world with respect.
I own a 6 acre lake on the GA/AL line and I think you're going in with the bass too early. With the size bluegill you stocked you probably wont get them big enough to get a spawn off this year. Your bass will grow quickly off the fathead minnows and threadfin shad (if you put them in). They might get big enough to start eating some of the bluegill which are the backbone of your foodchain. I'd recommend putting the bass in next year once your bluegill are big enough to not be eaten - then you'll have a generation of bluegill getting big and churning out more bluegill every full moon Mar-Sept or there about since you're so far south. Additionally I hope you're going in with atleast a 20:1 up to about a 50:1 bluegill to bass ratio if you want to grow some trophies.
I second this. I'm a Florida fisherman. They opened Headwaters Lake last year here and it was stocked with 1 million bass.I don't think they stocked the lake with the right bait ratio.bass imitation bites are working real well in that lake. Almost too well.That means they are very likely eating each other at this point. (8 years in)
I agree 100 % and mentioned way back when he was talking about stocking fish is to wait and be patient and stock your bait fish and wait one year. If you really want a quality bass pond. The bait fish will spawn and by the time you stock the predator fish they will have plenty of food to gorge themselves on. I have caught bass in my new pond 6 months after fingerling bass and other predator fish were stocked they have weighed 3 lbs or more. He will never be able to stock bait fish to keep up the vigorous feeding of the bass.
From the Big Island of Hawaii - Mahalo for such a wonderful series of videos!!! I'm originally from the east coast and I've been really missing the farm life, the wild animals! I have truly enjoyed watching your journey!
The buzzards typically extend their wings like that when it's cold, and they act as solar panels, warming the bird. When are you going to turn your ducks loose, they need to be out and about? I hope y'all have a good one! 👍🇺🇸🐠🐡🐟
I like what I'm seeing with the pond! Kudos to the person that suggested the time lapse footage with the deer in it. That footage looked amazing! Something tells me that we might start seeing similar camera work on other outdoors type channels. :) Looking forward to what happens next on the pond!
I scanned through a bunch of comments and saw a couple that has the same thoughts I had. I am not sure what other pond life is native to the area but some micro-food source might help boost a natural ecosystem. I am sure water insects will eventually find there way in but having a good population of helpful bacteria and live food for the bait fish would potentially allow the reduction of protein needing added to the pond. I know that excessive protein can upset the balance at levels of nitrates and nitrites and even amonia. Will local amphibians find their way in on their own? Crayfish, turtles, etc.? There were a few comments about perimeter fauna. Taller cattails or rush might attract wild fowl to nest. We raised mallards and they eventually paired off with wild mates and even flew south for the winter. The possibilities are endless. Enjoy. I know I do...
A month after I filled up my pond thousands of snails all the sudden showed up in the water then some mosquito fish somehow got in there it’s so weird how things find water
@@BamaBass Be very careful with grasses and cattails etc They can quickly TAKE OVER I learned the hard way I thought they would be pretty WAY WRONG choice . They spread via tubers and insanely QUICKLY turn a smaller pond into nothing but a weedy grass marsh AND you can never get rid of them when dug in . NEVER !
