At what temperature do you keep ducks inside?

[DucksOhio]

In Northern Ohio, we have 17 degrees F for a few days. I haven’t bothered filling up the kiddie pool in the last 4 days, as they seem uninterested in going out to ice and snow and cold, cold temps.

They probably need a bath, though. I can monitor their behavior. Lukewarm bath okay in these chilly weather?

 

[BullChick]

Hi! I’m familiar with NE OH. The ducks only need water deep enough to clean the nostrils. I preferred a coffee can (minus the coffee. Caffeinated ducks are a whole new level of crazy!) with water. You can swap it out daily or through the day.
If you want to bring your ducks inside the house, and give them a warm bath, you can still return them to the coop, but a blow dryer on low heat or the cool setting is recommended. My ducks swam throughout the winter when I kept the pool defrosted.

 

[DuckGirl77]

I always leave it up to them. When it gets pretty cold mine seem to only use the water to preen themselves a bit and don't jump in. It gets into subzero temps pretty frequently here. But at 17 degrees, they wouldn't mind getting wet. I provide a 2 gal rubber feed bowl for water all winter since the ice is easy to knock out. I let them bathe in it if they want, but only outside. Putting some straw or old bedding in the run will encourage them to go outside if they'd rather stay in the coop.

 

[3bird]

We live on the coast of Maine, and we've only ever locked our silver Appleyard ducks (large breed) into their duckhouse a handful of times (usually when negative numbers F and a blizzard with gale force winds coincide). They generally have 24/7 access to their run (which is covered), and they will be out there in all kinds of weather (even in the middles of the night, snowstorm, etc.). See the picture below ;-). They have a heated 5-gallon bucket in the run so they can dunk their heads. We change that out 2x/day. As long as it is not blowing hard, they will venture out to swim in their little pond down to the teens (unless it is frozen). When it gets into the single digits (like this morning), they will venture down out of the duckhouse for their morning soup and then head back up. In the depths of winter, they will go long spells without a swim, but they manage to clean-up around the heated bucket.

 

[3bird]

I preferred a coffee can (minus the coffee. Caffeinated ducks are a whole new level of crazy!) with water.

Some ducks like coffee:

But they can get surly after coffee:

 

[DucksOhio]

We live on the coast of Maine, and we've only ever locked our silver Appleyard ducks (large breed) into their duckhouse a handful of times (usually when negative numbers F and a blizzard with gale force winds coincide). They generally have 24/7 access to their run (which is covered), and they will be out there in all kinds of weather (even in the middles of the night, snowstorm, etc.). See the picture below ;-). They have a heated 5-gallon bucket in the run so they can dunk their heads. We change that out 2x/day. As long as it is not blowing hard, they will venture out to swim in their little pond down to the teens (unless it is frozen). When it gets into the single digits (like this morning), they will venture down out of the duckhouse for their morning soup and then head back up. In the depths of winter, they will go long spells without a swim, but they manage to clean-up around the heated bucket.

View attachment 2509065

They are remarkably hearty animals.