Bringing ducks inside question

[RitaK]

Hi all,

It's going to get very cold tonight so I'm going to bring them inside to their bathroom where their brooder was. It's a laundry/mud room bathroom that no one uses, so I won't heat it. I may even crack the window to keep it around 40-50 degrees. I don't want them to go from freezing temps to 72 degrees. My plan is to put them and their bath in the walk in shower but not their food. Then after they swim, take out the basin and that's it for the night. Just like their coop. No food or water at night just to keep the mess down. Then I can rinse down the shower in the morning. Thoughts on this?

What do you all think I should put down for them to sleep on? The options are hay, towels, or hamster shavings from their days in the brooder. Or nothing? That just seems uncomfortable!

Thanks for your help!

 

[RitaK]

Here they are! Frank, Millie, and Gertie

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Hi Rita. Personally I've been forbidden from ever bringing another duck inside my house. But the garage and barn are fair game! They should be ok if out of the wind and snow with lots of deep straw to nest in.

BTW- Your ducks are very very pretty!

 

[Going Quackers]

What a cute trio! that said, why are you bringing them inside? are they ill, injured? is there no housing/shelter for them? It is -8C windchill of -15C here my ducks are outside, are they loving this? no probably not but they have feed, shelter and each other they'll be fine.

I am not anti ducks in the house, i have brooded many duck in here(crazy i am) but after that, no way, unless a bird is injured or ill.. even then it depends on how severely.

 

[ducklover87]

Hi all,

It's going to get very cold tonight so I'm going to bring them inside to their bathroom where their brooder was. It's a laundry/mud room bathroom that no one uses, so I won't heat it. I may even crack the window to keep it around 40-50 degrees. I don't want them to go from freezing temps to 72 degrees. My plan is to put them and their bath in the walk in shower but not their food. Then after they swim, take out the basin and that's it for the night. Just like their coop. No food or water at night just to keep the mess down. Then I can rinse down the shower in the morning. Thoughts on this?

What do you all think I should put down for them to sleep on? The options are hay, towels, or hamster shavings from their days in the brooder. Or nothing? That just seems uncomfortable!

Thanks for your help!

Are you bringing them in just because of the cold? You referred to them having a coop, is it fully enclosed? If so as long as they have bedding they should be fine outside. I use 2 heat lamps in my duck coop but I spoil mine. Having grown ducks in the house is worse but yet easier than ducklings. I've had to bring in a few ducks due to injuries and even a goose. Right now I have a duck in the house due to an injury. I always use old towels when I have ducks inside. It makes cleaning up easier in my opinion.

 

[jclu16]

Well I used and old towel and blanket when they were in the house, I just shake and wash it. That does sound good to do, We made sure ours had plenty of straw and keep an eye on them. We are usually up til 6 am anyway I work until 3 am so when the sun comes up check on them and be sure they have plenty of drinking water.

My ducks kinda got use to being out but still watch them.

 

[RitaK]

What temp is your "bring them in" temp? I was going with 20 degrees. Anyone else have a limit? Also, my ducks are only 11 weeks old. Thx!!

 

[solarpup]

My mallard ducks are about 28 weeks old, so a little bit more mature. But we haven't hit our "bring them in temperature" yet. It's an active topic of conversation between me & my wife. But the ducks have been outside as low as 18 F overnight. Mind you, they are in a coop with lots of straw which we keep clean and dry. But it has an open door to a run (facing away from the most common wind direction), and we have placed a heavy rug over parts of the run on the coldest nights.

We have moved them up to a covered porch for the winter, with the coop and run placed on top of a tarp for easier cleaning, and they have heated buckets to drink from. But they're up on the porch mostly so we never have to unbury them from a snow. (We certainly can have snows that would bury the coop and run overnight.) But they seem quite fine in the coop/run, so long as the straw is kept clean. There will be nights as low as 25 F where we see them sleep outside in the run, instead of in the coop even though they have the option of going in whenever they want.

I'm thinking if it ever drops below 5 F overnight, we'll bring them in. But they're hardy little buggers, and certainly in the wild learn to deal with low temperatures. (Although at 11 weeks, I think my bring them in temperature would certainly be higher. 20 F doesn't sound unreasonable.)

 

[ducklover87]

What temp is your "bring them in" temp? I was going with 20 degrees. Anyone else have a limit? Also, my ducks are only 11 weeks old. Thx!!

Its funny you say 20°. I'm thinking our winter weather is not the same haha. Mine would be inside almost all winter then. Mine do fairly well in any weather. I worry when we dip down to the negatives like we are these next few days but they do alright as long as they can get out of the weather.

 

[Going Quackers]

What temp is your "bring them in" temp? I was going with 20 degrees. Anyone else have a limit? Also, my ducks are only 11 weeks old. Thx!!

I don't have one, now ducklings i consider a whole new ballgame non fully feathered birds are not the same. I am 9F with a -6F windchill this AM, no birds are inside, nor will they be, that said the youngest here is hatched from June in ducks and Aug for chickens.