Cold weather and ducks

[Jared_elder3]

I forgot to mention ventilation, you should have plenty of ventilation in your coop, high humidity/ammonia in a small coop is just asking for a whole lot of trouble.

I plan on building my own coop that will have a fully enclosed “bedroom” with straw and insulation to protect from the elements and then have that connect to a larger part of the coop that will be open on all sides so there is plenty of airflow and I’ll put feed and water out there

 

[Ratchnick]

Who wants to live in -50? I think the hardest part is manageing the water in the winter. How do you deal with:

Clean drinking water
Bathing
Glaciation
Automatic systems?

 

[blackandtan]

Who wants to live in -50? I think the hardest part is manageing the water in the winter. How do you deal with:

Clean drinking water
Bathing
Glaciation
Automatic systems?

Lol for us or the ducks?

 

[blackandtan]

Lol for us or the ducks?

Lol It’s not that bad really. Once you pass -20, anything lower is just a number, I’ve never felt much difference.
I don’t have any automatic systems, icing (glaciation?) is only a problem if you use buckets for water. My big cooler-waterer helped with that but there was still some watery mess after the geese have their baths. It is what it is.
I let everyone out on nice sunny days, even if it’s really cold. When I just had ducks I’d bring them for Sunday shower day and let them mess around in the tub for an hour.

 

[Jared_elder3]

Who wants to live in -50? I think the hardest part is manageing the water in the winter. How do you deal with:

Clean drinking water
Bathing
Glaciation
Automatic systems?

I don’t mind it, we have super hot summers super cold winters and perfect spring and falls which I enjoy. It’s nice to have different weather like that even if it is -50, and that’s why I came here for advice on winter care, the water isn’t to hard to deal with as I used a heated bowl and just had to check on the water a few times a day when I had chicks

 

[MugsyM]

I can't hardly stand to look out at their coop, it is so cold and so cold looking. My babies don't like it either. They haven't been out except for a few minutes then they go back in. I having trouble with birds that found a way in. I'm not more fond of the weather than the ducks so you won't see me out there trying to find and fix how they are getting in. This morning I went out and the birds were snuggling in the straw and the feed bowls were totally empty. My ducks never clean their pans. I feel so bad for them and we have 4 more days and 2 of the 4 are only going to get colder.

 

[3bird]

Ok thank you that helps a lot I was worried about what to do, but I plan on having a fully enclosed nesting spot with a heat source just need to find something that is fairly safe for it! Thank you

If you are set on a heater (and as others have said, healthy adult ducks don't need the supplemental heat if they have a draft-free, dry, well-ventilated space), definitely consider a radiant heater instead of a heat lamp. There are two primary advantages. First, they are not nearly as hot (you can touch it no problem), and they only heat a bird directly beneath it (not the ambient air). As a result, you don't run the risk of temperature shock the same way you do with a heat lamp. Second, they pose much less risk in terms of fire danger. We use a Sweeter Heater, which is a fully sealed, bombproof unit.

 

[3bird]

I live in Iowa too, my ducks fared the winter of 2019 fine, even when it got down to -35F. For mine, I use five-gallon heated water buckets, I insert them into the ground to help keep the water warmer, and so the water is level with the ducks, its a good idea to put a board over the top so they can't jump in, as there is always the chance they could drown since there is not much traction if a bucket. I've never used a heat lamp with full-grown ducks, because its not needed, they do well at acclimating to the temps, but if there were to be a power outage and the temperature in the coop dropped the birds may suffer from hypothermia, you also have to be careful with any heat source, because your coop will be at an increased risk for catching on fire.

My birds will roam as long as there isn't snow on the ground, The cold doesn't seem to bother them, but the snow does. Ducks don't need heat, but it is important you provide them with a draft-free area, thawed water/feed, and plenty of bedding, give them that and they will be fine.

Our ducks don't seem to mind the snow. They are eager to head right out for a swim in the morning (which involves a fairly long snow slog). On mornings when we have not shoveled after a new snow, they'll just "swim" through the snow to their pond, swim for a while and then get out and preen standing on the snow. When it's pretty cold, however, they are less interested in going very far from their run, and they are eager to back in.