- Thread starter
- #11
- Sep 2, 2011
- 24
- 0
- 22
Quote:
2x. Food & Water isn't necessary for the ducks overnight and I would recommend that he doesn't keep the duck barn too warm at night, otherwise they'll have trouble adjusting to the cold during the day.
Poor ducky with his beak frozen shut!! That's just so sad... http://serve.mysmiley.net/sad/sad0025.gif
I do composting-in-place for their bedding starting in the fall so that by the first really frozen days of winter the straw on the bottom has begun to compost a bit (I add a new layer of straw every few days until spring). The small amount of heat released from the composting action coupled with the warm bodies in the duckbarn help it to stay above freezing inside overnight. We don't have nearly as many below zero nights here in Maryland as you will in Colorado, but we certainly do get plenty. I don't provide any heating in the winter, just a few fans in the summer.
I lock all the poultry inside overnight and make sure that while they have a healthy per-sq-foot space per bird that they don't have to try to keep too much barn warm with their bodies. The roof is only 4 feet high in the duck barn and the vents are at the very top so that they're not sitting in the breeze overnight.
In the winter I do provide food and water inside the duck barn but that's because I have them locked up from about 7pm - 5am and I feel that giving them some grain with a bit of cracked corn mixed in will give them extra energy to keep their metabolism up for warmth. I ensure the waterer is not something they'll be able to bathe in... it's just for drinking. I make "waterer-unfreezers" out of cookie tins and a 40W light bulb then set the waterer on top of that. Doesn't keep it warm but keeps it above freezing.
ETA: Here's what the DIY heater looks like in action:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-...q_CHIo/s800/20101217_ChickenDrinkerHeater.JPG
Thank you soooo much FarmrGirl! There is some great info in here that I know he will be able to use. This also is great for me with my chickens, that cookie tin idea is great, and I may have to use that too!
Sounds like the overall consensus is to lock them up at night and keep them warm! That composting idea is great, again, I may have to use that.
Thanks again for the very thorough and helpful information, I , and I know he, very much appreciate it!!!!
2x. Food & Water isn't necessary for the ducks overnight and I would recommend that he doesn't keep the duck barn too warm at night, otherwise they'll have trouble adjusting to the cold during the day.
Poor ducky with his beak frozen shut!! That's just so sad... http://serve.mysmiley.net/sad/sad0025.gif
I do composting-in-place for their bedding starting in the fall so that by the first really frozen days of winter the straw on the bottom has begun to compost a bit (I add a new layer of straw every few days until spring). The small amount of heat released from the composting action coupled with the warm bodies in the duckbarn help it to stay above freezing inside overnight. We don't have nearly as many below zero nights here in Maryland as you will in Colorado, but we certainly do get plenty. I don't provide any heating in the winter, just a few fans in the summer.
I lock all the poultry inside overnight and make sure that while they have a healthy per-sq-foot space per bird that they don't have to try to keep too much barn warm with their bodies. The roof is only 4 feet high in the duck barn and the vents are at the very top so that they're not sitting in the breeze overnight.
In the winter I do provide food and water inside the duck barn but that's because I have them locked up from about 7pm - 5am and I feel that giving them some grain with a bit of cracked corn mixed in will give them extra energy to keep their metabolism up for warmth. I ensure the waterer is not something they'll be able to bathe in... it's just for drinking. I make "waterer-unfreezers" out of cookie tins and a 40W light bulb then set the waterer on top of that. Doesn't keep it warm but keeps it above freezing.
ETA: Here's what the DIY heater looks like in action:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-...q_CHIo/s800/20101217_ChickenDrinkerHeater.JPG
Thank you soooo much FarmrGirl! There is some great info in here that I know he will be able to use. This also is great for me with my chickens, that cookie tin idea is great, and I may have to use that too!
Sounds like the overall consensus is to lock them up at night and keep them warm! That composting idea is great, again, I may have to use that.
Thanks again for the very thorough and helpful information, I , and I know he, very much appreciate it!!!!
