Is sand ok in ducks coop in winter?

[Alexar232]

Hi! I am considering getting sand for my ducks house. The only thing I am worried about is in the winter with the heater. Will the heater heat up the sand and cause it to burn them? If anyone has had experience with using sand for their house in the winter please let me know!! I want them to be more comfortable, they are constantly pushing the bedding to one side of the house that they don’t stand on. They don’t like the pine flakes (the one from tractor supply has tons of sharp splintery pieces in it so I don’t blame them although I try to take out as many of those as I see) so I want to give them something they can be comfortable on just want to be sure it’s safe for use with a heater also! Thanks!

 

[Jenbirdee]

I live in nj so it gets down to I would say about 20 degrees coldest at night time. Their house does get pretty cold in the winter and I just don’t want to risk their feet freezing because the pine flakes are not very cozy nor provide much warmth without the heat from the heater. I use a hanging heater I use one to heat the both sides so it’s not overwhelming heat just beaming down on them. Your ducks are ok in weather that cold? They don’t show any signs of being too cold? You sound pretty experienced so I would appreciate advice. Thanks!

I can tell you love them so much, I completely understand, I love mine so much too!! I grew up in Bergen county NJ , now I live in Northeastern MD. The coldest it gets here is around 4 degrees at night in the dead of winter, but with wind chill sometimes theres a night that feels like 20 below, but the ducks are out of the wind. Ive had them here 7 years and they are fine. people in vermont have coops that are not heated and it gets much colder. The important thing to keep them from getting frosted is have enough ventilation. at Least one sq foot per duck. if there isnt enough, then moisture builds up and thats what freezes them. they exhale a lot of moisture.
I used to use a heated reptile panel on one wall so they could lay near it if they wanted. completely safe didnt even get hot just warm. I dont use it anymore, so no extension cords in my duck yard.
Its a very scarey fire hazard to have any kind of heater that can catch a random floating feather on fire. I have read some very sad stories of coop fires.

 

[Jenbirdee]

why are you using a heater in your duck house? what kind of heater?
As long as ducks have a roof and walls to protect from wind and rain/snow with lots of ventilation (windows high up covered with hardware cloth for predator protection) they shouldnt need a heater.. they are very hardy and ok to temps like 20 below zero .
Outside their feet can get frostbite under 20 degrees F so I throw some straw out and around for their feet . how cold does it get there?

 

[Jenbirdee]

also to say that I use straw in my duck house. in the summer i clean it out daily so flies dont build up. but in the winter i do deep litter method, start with 12 inches straw, then keep adding more straw over the poops . it gets very deep but doesnt even smell. it also generates some warmth. and i shovel it all out after 3 months

 

[Alexar232]

why are you using a heater in your duck house? what kind of heater?
As long as ducks have a roof and walls to protect from wind and rain/snow with lots of ventilation (windows high up covered with hardware cloth for predator protection) they shouldnt need a heater.. they are very hardy and ok to temps like 20 below zero .
Outside their feet can get frostbite under 20 degrees F so I throw some straw out and around for their feet . how cold does it get there?

I live in nj so it gets down to I would say about 20 degrees coldest at night time. Their house does get pretty cold in the winter and I just don’t want to risk their feet freezing because the pine flakes are not very cozy nor provide much warmth without the heat from the heater. I use a hanging heater I use one to heat the both sides so it’s not overwhelming heat just beaming down on them. Your ducks are ok in weather that cold? They don’t show any signs of being too cold? You sound pretty experienced so I would appreciate advice. Thanks!

 

[Alexar232]

I can tell you love them so much, I completely understand, I love mine so much too!! I grew up in Bergen county NJ , now I live in Northeastern MD. The coldest it gets here is around 4 degrees at night in the dead of winter, but with wind chill sometimes theres a night that feels like 20 below, but the ducks are out of the wind. Ive had them here 7 years and they are fine. people in vermont have coops that are not heated and it gets much colder. The important thing to keep them from getting frosted is have enough ventilation. at Least one sq foot per duck. if there isnt enough, then moisture builds up and thats what freezes them. they exhale a lot of moisture.
I used to use a heated reptile panel on one wall so they could lay near it if they wanted. completely safe didnt even get hot just warm. I dont use it anymore, so no extension cords in my duck yard.
Its a very scarey fire hazard to have any kind of heater that can catch a random floating feather on fire. I have read some very sad stories of coop fires.

Yes I really do! I’m glad to hear that you do too and that your duckies have a good life!! And ok that is very good to know. I always worried about a fire starting because those lamps get very hot on the surface of the bulb. Thank you so much for the info!! Do you keep water in their coop at night? That was another reason I used the heater was to keep their water from freezing because it would sometimes even freeze with the heater on. So just for peace of mind- they will not freeze without a heater and they will be comfortable? Also, sorry to bombard you with questions, Would you recommend sand? I just can’t seem to find good pine flakes anywhere around me. Thank you so much again!

 

[Jenbirdee]

Yes I really do! I’m glad to hear that you do too and that your duckies have a good life!! And ok that is very good to know. I always worried about a fire starting because those lamps get very hot on the surface of the bulb. Thank you so much for the info!! Do you keep water in their coop at night? That was another reason I used the heater was to keep their water from freezing because it would sometimes even freeze with the heater on. So just for peace of mind- they will not freeze without a heater and they will be comfortable? Also, sorry to bombard you with questions, Would you recommend sand? I just can’t seem to find good pine flakes anywhere around me. Thank you so much again!

They don’t need water overnight and they just play in it and make a horrible mess . How old are your ducks? I think some people use sand but I like straw it insulates . I buy bags of sand and bags of gravel, and I use them around my ducks yard whenever they make a mud puddle that stays too wet, I fill it with sand and gravel. But yeah, I’ve read about people using sand even considered it once, but it’s so heavy to lug those bags or push wheelbarrows Up my backyard hill to the ducks area. I can’t fit a truck around to the back or even my riding mower anymore. I’m maxed out my yard space with a big pen for my pet geese, an area for my dog , my vegetable gardens, and the rest for the ducks and chickens. So many fences and gates now lol. I bet there’s something in the learning center section of this website under articles about using sand in a coop. Perhaps we can find something

 

[Alexar232]

They don’t need water overnight and they just play in it and make a horrible mess . How old are your ducks? I think some people use sand but I like straw it insulates . I buy bags of sand and bags of gravel, and I use them around my ducks yard whenever they make a mud puddle that stays too wet, I fill it with sand and gravel. But yeah, I’ve read about people using sand even considered it once, but it’s so heavy to lug those bags or push wheelbarrows Up my backyard hill to the ducks area. I can’t fit a truck around to the back or even my riding mower anymore. I’m maxed out my yard space with a big pen for my pet geese, an area for my dog , my vegetable gardens, and the rest for the ducks and chickens. So many fences and gates now lol. I bet there’s something in the learning center section of this website under articles about using sand in a coop. Perhaps we can find something

Oh great awesome that makes me feel so much better because I haven’t had water in there for 2 months now because I got fed up with the mess lol. I felt like I was depriving them of water. They are 3 years old and their 2 babies are now 2. Awwww wow they all sound like they have an amazing life and they have a great mom!!! I’m glad they have that kind of life. I just lost my girl who was also 3. She suddenly stopped walking one day about a little over a year ago and I was taking extra care of her. I was giving her niacin putting her in the pool taking her out. Feeding her worms and ice water from a cup. Her eyes would light up when she saw me. I would always put a towel for her to sit on in her house so she wouldn’t get sores on her feet. In the winter I took her inside and let her bathe in warm water, then let her dry off and I would occasionally have her sit in my room with me and she loved it. She watched tv. I would also use a towel to hold her body up and let her try to use her legs so she could do her duckie things. It’s been a week now without her and it’s so hard to go back there without her there. she was such a sweet precious baby. I couldn’t afford to take her to the vet because I have not had a job in that time pretty much due to me wanting to always be around to take care of her. She was my #1 priority and even thinking about how I tried my hardest to take care of her and show her love, still doesn’t ease the pain. I appreciate all of your advice, you have been a big help. If you can find any I would appreciate it and I will look as well. Thank you so much!

 

[Jenbirdee]

oh look here's one it says chickens but should be about same for duckies
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/using-sand-in-your-chicken-coop.47795/

 

[Alexar232]

oh look here's one it says chickens but should be about same for duckies
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/using-sand-in-your-chicken-coop.47795/

Thank you so much! I think I’m going to do it!