water for ducks in winter???

[KansasKid]

Ok just checked and lowes has a utility pump that is $81.84 and is 1/3 hp which is approximately 2,475 or 2,500 gph.
Pumps a lot more than the 1/6 hp pump and i can get it when i return my 330gph pump that i bought at lowes and wouldn't have to wait.

or i could get a 1/6 hp pump like yours at lowes for $67

 

[sianara]

I would just caution you to make sure it does not have oil in the workings. If there is a leak it WILL kill your ducks. Good luck.

 

[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.

 

[KansasKid]

It doesn't. Both models at lowes are made of hard plastic with plastic Impeller. Thanks for the help, hopefully with all the water disturbtion it won't freeze.

 

[sianara]

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Sounds good. Make sure to report back on what you ended up doing

 

[sianara]

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Very good idea. Economical and easy to clean!

 

[Doug the Chicken Man]

But what about when they get out of the water? Will they get frost bite from contact with the ground or from the outside air temp?
We are able to possibly have flowing water to the pool and then have a drain from the pool.
This will keep it from freezing but we are concerned about the ice build up and frost bite when they get out.
This is in the covered run not in the coop so it should be relatively snow free.

They have a small coop for them with pine shavings but just concerned about the water and if they need to swim in the winter or just have a bowl that they can wash their face in.

 

[Aria]

We had Call Ducks for many years. Winter was a chore for us. Now we have Chickens.
MUCH EAISER. Ducks do NOT go in the Barn to sleep...you need to "drive them in".

We have a Pond. DUCKS love water and ours were in the Pond daily. In WINTER we had a
round electrical unit that kept just a small opening in the pond. For most of the Winter we
were fine. We let them out in the morning, in in the evening.

Later we had to chop a little to make a large enough opening for the Ducks to enjoy. They stayed out all day. And we had to drive them in the Barn. Our Ducks had water all day.
We had the food in the BARN. Hope this helps.

Now we are NEW with Chickens and will need to figure Winter out with them. Aria

 

[katharinad]

They don't need swimming water at all. Just take the pond away and you don't have to deal with messy water you have to pump somewhere. Get a concrete mixing bin you can occasionally fill with water to bath in. It's more important to have water for drinking and face cleaning available.

 

[Dances with Ducks]

Not to discourage any of the nice set ups you guys are describing, but I also would hate for people to feel overwhemed about winter duck care if they are not up to doing all that.
I want to repeat what Katharinad said, that ducks don't really need a pond in the winter and they don't need water all night either.
The simplist way to deal with water for ducks in winter is just give them a bucket of water in the morning. The ducks will be dunking their heads in all day so much that it usually won't freeze over until they go in their house at night. It's best to empty it when you lock the ducks up for the night so you don't wake up to a bucket of ice in the morning.
When weather and time permits give them a smallish tub of water to bathe in, and empty that before it can freeze through at night too. I like having the bucket and tub on gravel or sand so you don't have so much of an ice field forming around it. You will get some poop decorated ice sculptures forming around the bucket though, LOL.