Crested pekin and winterizing...a bit early I know...

[chicks4kids]

Obviously, I will have time to prepare, but with summer days, although they are longer, they generally seem shorter with all of the work that gets puts forth with the nice weather...

So here it is, my MIL brought over a turkey and a crested pekin.

I know what I'm doing with the turkey, but as far as the Pekin, how do they winter?? I was not planning on a duck that decides to live here forever and from what I can tell, Pekins will stay.

So I guess my question is , will he stay and opt to live with the chickens or will I have to make other accoopadations!! ( Get my pun!)

Basically, do they winter well?? We hit -10 last year without windchill (Indiana). So I'm curious about how to best prepare for his stay here. HELP is greatly appreciated!! And I'd rather do it now than wait until the last minute--

I want to put him with the other ducks for now, but they are Mallards, and the turkey seems to be his only friend. I plan on housing the ducks and the turkey together, but am truly concerned about this duckling. I assume the mallards will fly away...leave the nest so to speak...and leave him here.

My coop is insulated, so hopefully he can live with the girls???

 

[Picco]

Ducks are about the hardiest thing you can raise. I live in the tundra (aka upstate NY) and the ducks I used to have did just fine. They really prefer to stay outside even when its -0 but I always pushed mine in with the chickens if it got really cold. I have friends that just use a dog house or lean-to so they have a wind block and protection from the rain. The turkey, the duck, and the chickens will all do fine together. The only thing is that the duck will make a mess of the watering area.

 

[Chickie Mamma]

Its been really cold here this past winter and my White Crested handled it well. I would bring out warm water and she would bathe, but her crest would have "icicle dreadlocks" so I only did that when she was really dirty. They do need somewhere draft free to sleep on very cold nights, I have noticed they lay on their feet alot to keep them from freezing. I would house the duck separate from the chickens. Especially in the winter (when its the hardest to clean the coop normally) the duck will make it filthy faster. We had 2 ducks with my 3 Hens in a A-frame coop and it was horrible. We built a new coop so it will be easier to clean. We made a duck house 4' X 4' and I could not be happier with the cleanliness. Ducks are disgusting

Good Luck..