Do ducks need more ventilation than chickens?

[igorsMistress]

Hi all. I live in Phoenix; our winters can get down to freezing at night and we often get some cold winds as well.

I currently have a coop with 3 solid walls and an open front. In winter I typically close the front leaving the vents at the top open. I am curious whether ducks would need more ventilation than chickens? I have the option of closing off only the bottom half, up to roughly 3.5 feet from the ground and leaving the top half open if necessary. What do you think?

 

[BantyChooks]

Do you have waterers in their coop? I'd say ducks have relatively high moisture levels in their environments compared to chickens, due to their bathing habits.
Honestly, with those temps, I'm not sure I'd bother closing the front off at all, and closing half of it should be plenty. Ducks are incredibly cold hardy, and mine gleefully tumble outside every morning even when the snow is thigh-high and it doesn't get above 0*F!

 

[igorsMistress]

Do you have waterers in their coop? I'd say ducks have relatively high moisture levels in their environments compared to chickens, due to their bathing habits.
Honestly, with those temps, I'm not sure I'd bother closing the front off at all, and closing half of it should be plenty. Ducks are incredibly cold hardy, and mine gleefully tumble outside every morning even when the snow is thigh-high and it doesn't get above 0*F!

Thanks. I don’t know yet, I’m debating the pros and cons of that. It’s not so much the temperature I’m concerned about, it’s the wind.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I can’t tell you in terms of coop ventilation exactly, but I can tell you that the ducks I had as a teen slept in the water and I’d have to get a hammer to break up the ice for them. They were very hardy! Can’t recall the breed. They were white and flightless, so maybe Peking. I’m curious to see what experienced duck owners have to say since I’ve been thinking about getting ducks.

 

[Ratchnick]

I would keep the wind out at their level and have as much ventilation as you can above their level.

 

[Beaglegal]

Thanks. I don’t know yet, I’m debating the pros and cons of that. It’s not so much the temperature I’m concerned about, it’s the wind.

I would recommend strongly against having a water in the duck coop. It’s basically pointless. Mine destroy and spill all water within 15 minutes anyway and all it does is make a mess

 

[igorsMistress]

I can’t tell you in terms of coop ventilation exactly, but I can tell you that the ducks I had as a teen slept in the water and I’d have to get a hammer to break up the ice for them. They were very hardy! Can’t recall the breed. They were white and flightless, so maybe Peking. I’m curious to see what experienced duck owners have to say since I’ve been thinking about getting ducks.

I’ve read stuff like that! Crazy. The ducks that live in the pond at the park here don’t seem to care what the temp is, they’re in that water all night but they do seem to seek shelter a bit in the wind.

I would keep the wind out at their level and have as much ventilation as you can above their level.

Thank you, this was my thinking also. t

I would recommend strongly against having a water in the duck coop. It’s basically pointless. Mine destroy and spill all water within 15 minutes anyway and all it does is make a mess

not even a bucket? I was thinking about leaving their morning feed in there and letting them hang out a bit before I let them out for the day, then feed in there at night to get them back in. I can hang it from a chain, there’s already one in there for a chicken waterer.

 

[Beaglegal]

I’ve read stuff like that! Crazy. The ducks that live in the pond at the park here don’t seem to care what the temp is, they’re in that water all night but they do seem to seek shelter a bit in the wind.

Thank you, this was my thinking also. t
not even a bucket? I was thinking about leaving their morning feed in there and letting them hang out a bit before I let them out for the day, then feed in there at night to get them back in. I can hang it from a chain, there’s already one in there for a chicken waterer.

Maybe? I will probably defer to anyone that lives in a dryer area then me, but here any amount of water in the coop = mold

 

[igorsMistress]

Maybe? I will probably defer to anyone that lives in a dryer area then me, but here any amount of water in the coop = mold

I imagine so, you’re quite a bit wetter in general than we are. We had 10% humidity the other day, but mold can still be a problem here. I know anything more than a bucket would be a mess though and the coop is hay on a dirt floor. I was thinking about putting some pavers under it so if there are spills there won’t be a mud pit in there.

 

[Beaglegal]

I imagine so, you’re quite a bit wetter in general than we are. We had 10% humidity the other day, but mold can still be a problem here. I know anything more than a bucket would be a mess though and the coop is hay on a dirt floor. I was thinking about putting some pavers under it so if there are spills there won’t be a mud pit in there.

Well you can try it and if the make a mess, remove it, right?