1 week old ducks outside

NoseyChickens

Feathers On The Ground
10 Years
Aug 3, 2009
2,405
40
193
Southern California
I have just put my week old ducks outside in a coop with attached run. It has been in the 80's during the day and there is a heat lamp in the coop. Will they be alright in there? Also I have their food and water in the run and I plan on closing them in the coop (converted dog house) at night. Do they need food and water at night too? Storey's Guide says to have it available 24/7 at this age.

Here is a picture of the mini coop they are in (minus the chickens)


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Here are my runner ducks the day I got them from Holderreads

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Sounds ok, but I personally would put them indoors into a garage or something at night. They will make a really bad mess in the dog house every night. Seems to be hard to get in for clean out. Put a tray under the water and food section.
Katharina
 
I put some straw on the floor of the dog house and since those pictures we have added a door on the side of the house, so it is easy to clean out. There is also a door on the front in the run that closes to keep in the warmth. Should I put the fod and water inside the house at night if I leave them in there?
 
Yes, you have to put it in there, because they need the food and water day and night for the first couple of weeks. Be careful with the red heat lamp the glass is so thin that they can break. I prefer a regular light bulb, but I'm not sure if that is warm enough in the dog house. I personally have build a duck house which had an oil filled heater in it. So there is enough heat in addition to the lamp. I usually keep my duckies in the house for the first 2 weeks. It really depends on how cold it is at night.
Katharina
 
Thanks for your advice. They are in a shady spot. Their duck house and run will be ready soon. I am just going to bring them in and put them back in the brooder at night. I have a HUGE cage I could put them in in the garage, but all in all I think I would just be a nervous wreck if they were outside all night anyway. This way they are out and not pooping in my house all day and inside and cozy all night. It's a win win for the next week or two!
 
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