3 week old ducklings, can I put them out in the brooder house?

[whisper237]

We picked up some ducklings last week that were 2 weeks old, they were kept in a small enclosed building with a heat lamp. We brought them home and put them in our basement since our brooder house wasn't quite ready. Can or do we dare put them out there with night temps around 40 degrees and a heat lamp? We will be making a small space for them until their much bigger but if I can get them in the brooder house that would be great. Thoughts, concerns?

Thanks

 

[Amiga]

I am a doting duck mom, so bear that in mind.

My concerns would be that I want to be absolutely certain no predators could get near the ducklings, that I would know what the temperature is (and that it is warm enough with room to move away from the heat if needed). I would also pay attention to risk of fire, with heat lamps and bedding being a potentially dangerous combination.

You may have all this already covered, but these would be my concerns. I am very concerned that if anything goes wrong with ducklings, that I hear about it right away. By the way, my "ducklings" are two years old, now.

They sleep in the basement in the winter (long story), but they do have an outdoor house for spring summer and fall. When we were deciding where to put it, we settled on a spot about 10 feet from our house, near a big window in the living room. That has been a terrific advantage.