water for ducks in winter???

[raimnel]

We have a kiddie pool now and in the mornings it is frozen. what do you guys do for "swimming" in the winter. do they NEED it? or is a waterer (for drinking) all they need?

 

[Lund121671]

We use the black rubber tubs from Farm and Fleet/Fleet farm. You can just flip them over stomp on them get the ice out and fill them back up and on nice sunny days the black actually helps keep the water from freezing. We are also in Wisconsin

 

[Mom 2em All]

I have a pond in the back- but this is my first year with ducks.
I just now plugged in their heated waterer. They are staring like it is an alien right now.

My plan was to keep this full all winter- and they can use their pond as long as it is not frozen. Once that occurs- well, they are going to have to wait until spring just like the rest of us.

I hate winter. I hate cold. I would not make a good duck.

 

[Lund121671]

Here is what I did last year for all of the ducks inside with NO mess what so ever! I brought all of the calls into a horse stall with deep pine shavings. Went and bought the largest tote I could find, cut a hole about 3" from the bottom on one end and put a black tub from F and F inside on the other end filled half full with water and snapped the lid back on. I did this EVERY morning no matter what the temp and took it out dumped it and tipped up to dry every night. I never watered them at night and they had access to food all day along with the water. Worked great, no goopy eyes from not bathing and staying clean.

 

[the builder]

We have 54 ducks in 4 day groups. Every morning we take 8 water buckets (ice cream pails) out to distribute. Set them inside short plastic tubs to help catch the splashing and avoid ice mounds. Same with food. every morning bring the food out with the water. Otherwise the mice and rabbits will get it. Then let the ducks all out for the day into their day pens. In the real cold weather they get put in the barn I built and spend the day with the chickens. When I get home from work they get the water buckets refilled and food dishes. About 30 minutes later its getting dark and we shuittle them all back into their houses and lock in for the night. Collect up the dishes and get ready to do again the next morning. On warm weekends I set up two pools for them to bathe in and make sure everyone gets their turn. They all free range when its warm. Ducks, goosies and chickens. The goosies are great watch dogs and keep the ducks in line.
For food I mix Purina flock raiser with cracked corn and sunflour seeds. This is a good mix for all. Same for my pheasants. Have 30 of those too.
I replumbed my house so all lines run from my bathroom. This allows me to turn off any line from the bathroom. So my outside hose line I can drain off after every winter use. Just have to wrap up the hoses after every use so they dont freeze.
For security I use nite guards all around and they work amazing. Simple, inexpensive and very effective. Im not predator free, but I have very few issues. Im in the great north woods of wisconsin and have had run ins with bears, bobcats, racoons and house cats. Plus im surrounded by coyotes.Best defense is to make rounds often and check on your babies.

 

[sianara]

After spending several winters lugging many, many buckets of warm water up from my basement out to all my animals, I made a LOUD decision (to my husband

) I was going to make life easier for ME. I then had my plumber run an extra hot/cold water line in my basement over to the window closest to the animals housing (he was already here doing some other plumbing so the added cost wasn't too much more). Now in wintertime, all I do is open the basement window, feed the 40' hose outside, adjust all the valves to the coolest temp and spray away.

I have three pens of waterfowl and two of chickens. I use the warm water to not only spray down their houses 2-3x a week but also to clean/disinfect their pools and waterers outside instead of having to lug them all back and forth to the basement sink. They all have heated waterers and the waterfowl have small stock tank heaters for their pools.

I have five houses and 43 animals so it's a huge time savings and consequently we are all happy. I now enjoy the winter animal chores and I no longer worry about falling down on the ice/snow with full water buckets (been there, done that).

It's especially joyful for me when they are watching their clean pools fill up with warm, steamy water and they excitedly jump in before the pools full.

There's no way I would lug 200' of hose up and down the basement 3x a week but that also doesn't mean I shouldn't have animals. We all have our limits as to what we are willing/able to do and it doesn't make any of us more deserving of others to have animals IMHO.

 

[Going Quackers]

They will most definitely climb in buckets lol one of my favourite pictures.. That was chocolate ripple, sadly lost her this summer.. in typical Muscovy fashion she went off to set a nest in the back fields, saw her for awhile and one day she was simply gone.

 

[donkeydew2farms]

this is what happens when they don't bathe in a week. the where so funny.i lost one of my pools any body know where I can get one it is a large kiddie pool.i have two geese now I need a bigger pool for them.

 

[Going Quackers]

these are the 3Gal ones i have for my calls.. i have big rubber ones for the big ducks... they all can take a beating and keep going, i actually stole one back from the ewes lol so they take massive abuse my ewe flock take their pans everywhere, as to the rams and boy those guys are rough on stuff.. so ducks that is easy.

 

[designcreature]

What I found works like a charm. I fix the water on the outside of their pen and adjust the wire so they can drink. They can't make a mess and it makes life much nicer for us all.
If you use a plastic water container, the frozen water pops right out and you are good to go.

If the weather warms to at least 36 degrees, I turn them out for a quick bath.