Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Fertilization RE: Natural Fertilization Program for Northern Ponds?

Has anyone been using domestic ducks and geese to help fertilize their northern waters? I have been doing this for 2 years. I started out with 16 domestic ducks and geese in my 19 acre clear gravel pit. In 2004 with reproduction my #'s increased to around 80 living into 2005 with many wild Canada geese flying in and out. I lose some fowl to predatation of foxes and coyotes along the shorelines. The results appear to be reduced water visibility to 4-6'range from 8-10', hopefully with increased plankton and zooplankton blooms for the yoy BG, LMB/ yellow perch. In addition the fowl help control water vegetation throughtout the lake.

I would like to hear from other who are using this method or have in the past. Thanks

Rowly

Rowly, My 6 year old Grandson tosses every cow chip he finds into the water to fertilize it. He figures that if we use it for the lawn, it has to be good for water.

Seriously, if it has increased the phytoplankton base, it would seem that it would have to help the overall food chain. On the other hand, I have heard of some very prolific clear water lakes in your part of the world. I would keep an eye on the situation. If you get too much assistance, you can overdo a good thing. I have a small 1/6 acre pond that I used for forage. I stocked a pound of fatheads and 50 small bluegills. They spawned like crazy and I seined it a couple of times to start a neighbors pond. Then I couldn't get anybody to pull on the other end of a seine. Before long the water turned too green and everything died. Nasty stuff.

Dave:

I agree.... trial and error. The fowl are enjoyed by us as we water bike around the lake and they follow or by observation from our house and backyard. If I can control their #'s there may be a strong benefit for their organic fertilization. But I really think the #'s per area should not exceed 4 or 5 birds. Time will tell but it seems an easy way to help fertilize our northern ponds but few people try this method it seems. Another side benefit is they are controlling my weed growth in the water as they circle the lake eating continuously. Has anyone else enjoyed this method for northern ponds????

Rowly

Most people don't look at bird manure as good fertilizer for several reasons. First, you have little control on how much they apply. Plus, birds aren't trained on application methods. It appears to be random. So, if the right number of birds distribute the right amount of high nitrogen, hot fertilizer, something good can happen. But, you are probably that "one in a hundred" who has just the right amount of everything.
Water clarity, chemistry and temperature plays the most important roles. Then, you know what you need and how much. Plus, you can put it out when you need it, not necessarily when a bird chooses.
I have seen a number of lakes spoiled because too many geese over-fertilized the pot.

I mostly agree with Bob's comments about bird manure. Lots of waterfowl manure will pretty quickly lead to more rapid eutrophication of your lake. This will lead to degraded water quality where you have fewer and fewer weeks of clearer water. In the begining stages, a little "greener water" will appear good and beneficial.

However, as eutrophication escalates you will soon be noticing more frequent occurrence of greenish algae films on the surface especially during the warmer months of June, July, August when you will be wanting to use the lake most often for recreational purposes and then algae will most abundant and water quality the worst on a seasonal basis.

I would not encourage the accumulation and buildup of waterfowl. I would discourage then from using the pond as much as it is practical for you. You will get plenty of bird manure from just the migrating waterfowl. Believe me, when the pond balance tips to the eutrophic side of nutrient standards and the lake starts down the path of degraded water quality, you will long for the good old days when you had clear water and fewer problems. Sometimes aesthetics and recreational water quality is better than having extra poundages of fish.

Bob and Bill:

You both provide very good information and food for thought. I will idea watch the algae buildup this summer. To date, the past 3 years there has been very little floating algae of any type but I will keep my #'s low to try to avoid problems down the road. Thanks

Rowly

Rowly - As I eluded o in my post above some ponds similar to your type can receive some nutrification and not show much evidence of nuisance growth due probably mostly to inherent water chemistry. But as the system matures and nutrification continues problems arise and you wonder "what happened". Keep a close eye on things and try to keep the geese #'s lower.

I also have a natural fertilizer in nutrient overflow from my trout pond to my warm water pond and all the fish I feed in the warmwater pond. Seechi dish reading stays between 12 and 36 inches for the most part in summer.

Last year after I harvested about 100 lbs. of bass between 2 to 4 lbs. the water gradually cleared up to gin clear later in the fall. And I'm sure shutting down the trout pond flow had an effect.

I know phytoplankton decreases in colder water, and of course species change dominance. But this was obviously related to the reduction of the fish in the pond. Large blooms of filamentous algae blossomed on the bottom although it never floated up. Must not be a typical species of filamentous algae.

Ironically the pond phytoplankton has started to green up again under the ice and it is not as clear as it was before winter. Hopefully I will get my phytoplankton bloom back as I believe that has a lot to do with the size and rapid growth of some of the fish in the pond.

Cecil and Bill;
Thank for your input and I will indeed closely watch and monitor the lake over the warmer months this year.

Rowly

Rowly, as you know I have had ducks on my pond for some years. I have avoided problems because of the massive flushing of the pond that occurs in the winter months here. Our rainy season produces a great runoff and probably runs 4 or 5 times the water quantity of the pond through it and down the spillway. As it does so, it creates a good deal of turbulance. I have measured flows of up to 300,000 gallons a day through a 2 surface acre pond! I think this is the primary reason that my pond's water quality has stayed pretty consistant. Without this flushing, I could easily see how a problem could occur as some of the guys have noted. Having said all of this, the Bobcats have eliminated my last "free" ducks so I have no worries on any account.
Jim

Jim, long time no hear on this forum........ I bet in the near future ducks will be gracing your establishment again......its hard to keep out of the business????? I should be filling those incubators soon with eggs for the kids to watch them hatch and raise again. I promise I will only hatch a couple hundred fowl this year.....BUT maintain a winter stock much smaller to enjoy. Thanks again for all your help Jim.....enjoy those paintings....

Rowly