winter duck care

[Hattiegun]

http://youtu.be/dTwC38EBz2Y


I added on. Im not quite done tho. My pond is filling up but the big ducks didnt want to wait to get in.
I have a seperation fence at the moment as i have 2 babies that are still kept seperate.


https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=5532878 POST #6 & #8

I enclose the whole nite pen in plastic , I got plexiglass panals made for a few of the front sections to see out, Kept all the snow and wind out.
I put straw down all over and throw a stock tank heater in the pond.
Did not have one problem at all last winter... when the sun is out its awesome in their pen.
I still was able to drain and refill their pond everyother day !!

 

[RunnerWhisperer]

Ooh! I like the plexiglass idea!! If I didn't house them in the sunroom, my thoughts were to put up plywood on either side of their pen to protect form wind and leave the front open. The plexiglass though will act like a sunroom or a greenhouse and get warm a little when the sun is out. Now that I have seen all these lovely pens and ideas, I need to re-do mine!! lol

 

[RunnerWhisperer]

Quote:
Seriously!! Your ducks are Livin Large!! lol I am going to e-mail this link to my BF! Muhahahahaha he doesn't know yet that we will be embarking on a whole new level of pen building!! lol

 

[ZoeS95423]

chickensducks&agoose :

in vermont, where the actual temp can get down to -20 in the winter, not including wind chill, my ducks spend all day outside... i provide them with rubber bowls of warm water 3 times a day, morning, afternoon and early evening (before it gets dark),

When you say rubber bowls do you mean like large animal waterers? I have some of those that are just lying around

 

[1234duck]

Ducks ARE totally use to the cold. When i first started the ducks as a pet thing i was worried about the cold and rain. I found myself outside by myself in the freezing cold & rainy weather trying to make their living arrangements better for them, my fingers were so cold that they hurt. Well when all was said and done, i couldn't believe the dang ducks didn't even care to be under the shelter & warmth as matter fact they prefer to lay and stand outside IN the Rain & cold. My ducks have filled swimming pools available 24/7, all year around. They wouldn't be happy with me one bit if i didn't have their swimming pools. Even in the cold winter nights i would find my ducks swimming. When i had the smaller/younger ones inside my house at night they would pant b/c they were too warm. Ducks have their down feather coats always on

. Always provide shelter from the cold & hot weather so the ducks have a choice & you can't go wrong. ~Julie~

 

[chrissy40]

I love your duck sanctuary!! What we did for my pekin mix ducks for the winter was, we put their small duck house into our pole barn, and have fenced in an area for them to hang out in. The heat I use is, the heat lamps within the duck house and they go in there when they are cold. It is working well so far for us.

 

[peatommer1]

I am so jealous of this!!!!!!! I'd give anything to have something like this for my ducks!

 

[whisper237]

Thank you for this thread. It explains alot, we are first time duck owners and I was really worried about our ducks this winter as it snows and gets cold. We were below zero windchills yesterday in MN. Explains alot as to why the ducks are outside and rarely in their brooder house. I have their food and water in the brooder house. We have been using a rubber bucket but I did get a electric heated water bucket for them. I was also wondering on the pond for them. We have a kiddie pool for them, thought about a heater for it but wasn't sure.

I'm at work currently so don't have much time to read all the posts. What would be ideal for them to swim in? I think we would have a issue with a heater because we have 9 ducks for the large kiddie pool and they are usually all in it at once. We have runners and saxony's.

Thanks

 

[Lupa Duende]

I think i have too many questions so i will start with an introduction....
Dawkins, Lamarck, and Gould (my ducks) are now the proud inhabitants of a new barn that My partner built for me. They share it with goats, pony, chickens, and whatever else finds its way into our house of goblins here in southern Quebec.Our weather parallels the adirondack mountains in upstate ny.... Meaning that it can get so cold that even the canadians complain.

The critters moved into the new barn just a fortnight ago and are only in at night.

bUT i already have a humidity issue.

Is this from leaving water buckets around?

What can i do.? The chickens roost in a coop in the barn and everyone else hangs out on pine shavings and old hay. The high humidity is Not good for hay storage or hooves....

Suggestions on ventilation?
The barn is neither heated nor is it insulated....


Thank you in advance

 

[Amiga]

Not knowing the barn's design, I will guess you need some more ventilation, and that much of the high humidity is from animal respiration.

Could some vents be added? Any openings need to be covered with half inch metal hardware cloth (some call it wire mesh) to keep predators out.

Weren't cupolas put on barns long ago for ventilation?

Love the duck names!