Another "Well winter has hit" thread and a couple questions

[21hens-incharge]

So yes it is bloomin cold here in Northern Colorado. Our high today is in the teens and overnight to be zero or below.

I am not a fan of adding heat to the coops so I do not plan to. They have 6" of large flake bedding in there as it is.

The water dish....yeah that....it has a sinking deicer so stays thawed but they have made quite an ice rink around it.
I am changing it at night so in the morning they aren't waiting on me to give clean water.

Any tips on dealing with that ice? I do have it set so sunny days will thaw it. My worries are those webbies getting super cold standing on ice to get a drink.

Hubs wants me to put a heat lamp in the duck house. I don't think they need one any more than my chickens do.
Do you heat your duck house?

 

[crazychicken-chickk]

So yes it is bloomin cold here in Northern Colorado. Our high today is in the teens and overnight to be zero or below.

I am not a fan of adding heat to the coops so I do not plan to. They have 6" of large flake bedding in there as it is.

The water dish....yeah that....it has a sinking deicer so stays thawed but they have made quite an ice rink around it.
I am changing it at night so in the morning they aren't waiting on me to give clean water.

Any tips on dealing with that ice? I do have it set so sunny days will thaw it. My worries are those webbies getting super cold standing on ice to get a drink.

Hubs wants me to put a heat lamp in the duck house. I don't think they need one any more than my chickens do.
Do you heat your duck house?

I am located in CO too, it sure gets cold down here! If you can, go to your local tractor supply or whatever is in your area. Buy a heated dog bowl, They work really well and are handy to have around.

 

[crazychicken-chickk]

Here is the one we use

 

[crazychicken-chickk]

I also do not think you need a heat lamp. It can be a fire hazard and ducks are very cold-hardy in the winter.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Here is the one we useView attachment 2388055

I have a really big red water dish with a sinking bucket deicer and it works to keep the water thawed.

It is the 2" thick ice rink they made around the outside of the dish that is bugging me.

Yeah I do not want to use a heat lamp even with my non flighted ducks. Gotta get seasoned duck keeper input to help hubs understand they will be fine without one.

The ice on their belly feathers has him a bit worried.

 

[Meg-in-MT]

How tall is the water dish that you use? I wonder if a heated bucket (or bucket with heater) would help having taller sides. They can still clean their nares, but not necessarily make a mess in it.

 

[21hens-incharge]

How tall is the water dish that you use? I wonder if a heated bucket (or bucket with heater) would help having taller sides. They can still clean their nares, but not necessarily make a mess in it.

It is the big dish by the fence. It holds a little over 5 gallons. I thought it was an 8 gallon but it is just 5 gallons. (I am carrying jugs in the evening to change it so am glad it is just 5)
I do have a taller 5 gallon flat back bucket but I felt like they dropped the water level to much to reach easily. I also have a 2 gallon flat back bucket....it is a tad taller than the red tub.




Right now those giant pavers it sits on are covered in muddy ice and there are ice cicles hanging around the rim.
Blinking cold it is!

 

[Meg-in-MT]

It is the big dish by the fence. It holds a little over 5 gallons. I thought it was an 8 gallon but it is just 5 gallons. (I am carrying jugs in the evening to change it so am glad it is just 5)
I do have a taller 5 gallon flat back bucket but I felt like they dropped the water level to much to reach easily. I also have a 2 gallon flat back bucket....it is a tad taller than the red tub.


View attachment 2388074

Right now those giant pavers it sits on are covered in muddy ice and there are ice cicles hanging around the rim.
Blinking cold it is!

Ugh, I hear ya on the cold weather front. We had -14°f this morning and 18" of snow in about as many hours Friday/Saturday . Winter came in with a bang!

I don't know how you fix that...I wonder if you dug a small "pit" and filled it with gravel if it would let the water drain enough it wouldn't build up. Possibly cover it with black landscape fabric so the water would go through, but ice would melt quickly in the sun.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Ugh, I hear ya on the cold weather front. We had -14°f this morning and 18" of snow in about as many hours Friday/Saturday . Winter came in with a bang!

I don't know how you fix that...I wonder if you dug a small "pit" and filled it with gravel if it would let the water drain enough it wouldn't build up. Possibly cover it with black landscape fabric so the water would go through, but ice would melt quickly in the sun.

This cold is a bit of a system shock for sure! We got 14" of snow and low teens for our high today.
That negative 14°NO THANKS!

I had started a drain pit like you describe. Hubs nixed it. He is concerned about it being a weak point that would let a fox dig in. Yes we have fox here in town.

Plan B.......
A sloped low deck that will drain through the chain link.......maybe a black stall matt on top too. This weekend temps will be low 60's. I could do it then.

 

[Meg-in-MT]

This cold is a bit of a system shock for sure! We got 14" of snow and low teens for our high today.
That negative 14°NO THANKS!

I had started a drain pit like you describe. Hubs nixed it. He is concerned about it being a weak point that would let a fox dig in. Yes we have fox here in town.

Plan B.......
A sloped low deck that will drain through the chain link.......maybe a black stall matt on top too. This weekend temps will be low 60's. I could do it then.

Definite shock! It's supposed to be 50° by Wednesday

Oh good, you guys are warming up. Glad you don't have to do it in the cold!