First, as an update, we lost the little duckling with croup issues. He was always on the small side and was a bit stressed from shipping as well. Thank you, though, to all who answered my pleas for help!
Now my next question. I'm in central Florida and temperatures outside are far better for my crew than a heat lamp inside our house. I have a run that is covered with shade cloth and then a tarp over half. I also have my daughter's old playhouse in the pen where I shut them up at night. Since it's going down to the upper 60s, they get a heat lamp as well. They're a week old and have been doing great...except....we had the mother of all thunderstorms yesterday (not forcast!!) I ran home and got them in after they'd been out in the rain for maybe 10 min. The ducks were damp and turkeys and chicks were soaked. The shade cloth protected them from the heavy rain but didn't keep all the rain out. It did stay dry in the playhouse and under the tarp but they didn't go in....and at 1 week, I didn't think they would. Sooo.....if I wrap the sides of my pen with plastic and make it so half is relatively rain proof, at what age will they be able to take cover if it rains? I can't wrap the entire pen because it will be an oven and then the rain won't matter. We usually get afternoon storms so there could be rain almost everyday. With my adult ducks I didn't have to worry about this!
The little beasties are nice and dry and cozy in my bathroom now...but with 44 of them, that won't last long! I have 1 plastic tub of turkeys, 1 tub with chicks, 1 tub with smaller ducks, and my bathtub with the big ducks.
Any ideas? They much prefer to be outside but I want to make sure they're protected. I could fence off the half of the pen that is under cover when I'm at work I suppose.
Thanks!
Laura
Oh yes....the reason I have such a variety is because the chickens were packing peanuts with the turkeys and the turkeys and 2/3 of the ducks are going to my friends farm once they're older. I said I'd raise them in return for 5-6 ducks. I didn't think she'd order so many and we didn't expect the chickens!
Now my next question. I'm in central Florida and temperatures outside are far better for my crew than a heat lamp inside our house. I have a run that is covered with shade cloth and then a tarp over half. I also have my daughter's old playhouse in the pen where I shut them up at night. Since it's going down to the upper 60s, they get a heat lamp as well. They're a week old and have been doing great...except....we had the mother of all thunderstorms yesterday (not forcast!!) I ran home and got them in after they'd been out in the rain for maybe 10 min. The ducks were damp and turkeys and chicks were soaked. The shade cloth protected them from the heavy rain but didn't keep all the rain out. It did stay dry in the playhouse and under the tarp but they didn't go in....and at 1 week, I didn't think they would. Sooo.....if I wrap the sides of my pen with plastic and make it so half is relatively rain proof, at what age will they be able to take cover if it rains? I can't wrap the entire pen because it will be an oven and then the rain won't matter. We usually get afternoon storms so there could be rain almost everyday. With my adult ducks I didn't have to worry about this!
The little beasties are nice and dry and cozy in my bathroom now...but with 44 of them, that won't last long! I have 1 plastic tub of turkeys, 1 tub with chicks, 1 tub with smaller ducks, and my bathtub with the big ducks.
Any ideas? They much prefer to be outside but I want to make sure they're protected. I could fence off the half of the pen that is under cover when I'm at work I suppose.
Thanks!
Laura
Oh yes....the reason I have such a variety is because the chickens were packing peanuts with the turkeys and the turkeys and 2/3 of the ducks are going to my friends farm once they're older. I said I'd raise them in return for 5-6 ducks. I didn't think she'd order so many and we didn't expect the chickens!
