5 Jumbo Pekin ducklings, about 2 or 3 weeks old, move outside?

[BlakeRyan]

We have 5 Jumbo Pekin ducklings inside right now. Three of them are almost 3 weeks old (hatched August 1), two of them hatched August 8. They've been inside our house in a rabbit cage with a dropping pan underneath and a heat lamp above. We take them out every night and clean their dropping pan, change water, etc but it's starting to smell up the house, they are kicking and pushing poop out everywhere, and the water is making a sopping mess. All things that are normal, no doubt, but we are wondering if we could move them outside now? We previously had a single duck, a Swedish blue, and he was inside for months with us but of course a single duck was easier to maintain than a handful and we needed time to build his coop. So, we already have a coop area and stuff, and it's 70 or 80 here during the day, 50 or 60 during the night here in Vermont. They can be locked up at night, I just want to be sure they will be ok during the day and if they can go without a heat lamp if they are outside in warm weather?

 

[Cherib603]

At 3 weeks they don't need a heat lamp. As long as it's above 70, put them outside. As long as they have a secure place to be. They can go out full time now. No need to bring in at night if they are locked up in a 100% predator proof coop.

 

[BlakeRyan]

Thanks! That's what I was thinking and hoping. You don't think a hawk or crowhatever would come take them during the day do you?

 

[Cherib603]

Hard to say. If you regularly see hawks, there might be a problem. Can you cover their run with hardwarecloth or chicken wire?