Winter is almost here in the Northwest (Seattle). We are going to drop down to about 38 tonight, according to the news. I was hoping for some information/input as to what we need to do for our ducks during the winter. We've had them since May, so this is our first go at the cold.
Dayside, they don't seem bothered by the cold at all. When they're in their pen, the have small water buckets to dunk their heads and splash around in, and have access to their house, which offers shelter if they need it. We've had lots of windy, rainy days already and they appear unaffected. If we're home, such as on the weekends, we put them in our back yard and they have access to the kiddie pool to play in, do lots of foraging, etc. They seem quite content.
My primary concern is the nighttime. Their house is rock solid and the roof is shingled, but it is not insulated. It has a narrow strip of ventilation on one side. I've been putting in a lot of wood chips and straw, twice as much as before, to give them plenty to burrow into, if they want. We do not currently have a heat lamp in their house. The house is 30" high, 30" wide, and 40" long. We have four Runner ducks. I remember reading somewhere that the ducks should be fine as long as it doesn't go below freezing, but I would like to confirms that independently..
Any feedback about getting ducks through a Seattle winter would be awesome. Thank you!
Dayside, they don't seem bothered by the cold at all. When they're in their pen, the have small water buckets to dunk their heads and splash around in, and have access to their house, which offers shelter if they need it. We've had lots of windy, rainy days already and they appear unaffected. If we're home, such as on the weekends, we put them in our back yard and they have access to the kiddie pool to play in, do lots of foraging, etc. They seem quite content.
My primary concern is the nighttime. Their house is rock solid and the roof is shingled, but it is not insulated. It has a narrow strip of ventilation on one side. I've been putting in a lot of wood chips and straw, twice as much as before, to give them plenty to burrow into, if they want. We do not currently have a heat lamp in their house. The house is 30" high, 30" wide, and 40" long. We have four Runner ducks. I remember reading somewhere that the ducks should be fine as long as it doesn't go below freezing, but I would like to confirms that independently..
Any feedback about getting ducks through a Seattle winter would be awesome. Thank you!