Duck "house" and other winter questions

[goosedragon]

Quote:
She said she had muscovies and muscovies are tree ducks whose normal range is central america. I had muscovies on the shores of Lake Ontario not as cold as inland midwest or the mountains but -20 nights were common We kept ours in a normal henhouse and the muscovies would head for the high roosts at night (yes they roosted, they are tree ducks) We kept a heated bucket by the door opposite the roosts. Muscovies are not the great swimmers that other ducks are. they liked to go outside when it was reasonable weather the webbed foot works somewhat like snow shoes so they could often walk on top of wind packed snow. I have seen them take 'snow baths' like a chicken dusting themselves. And when they had enough of the snow they would return inside which usually was above freezing because of body heat from them and the chickens.

 

[Broodica]

So how big a house is big enough for 3 mallards and a Rouen? Just not sure how many square feet would make them happy at night in the winter....PNW La Nina winter=definite snow that might hang for a couple of weeks now and then and lot's of rain. My main concern is the predator thing, so need to lock 'em up at night whether they like it or not. Do I need to have room for food and water at night as well?

 

[katharinad]

1 sqft per duck minimum for the night. Perhaps add a little bit more for the food and water bowls. I have 9 and they have a 10x10 foot room. That gives me enough space to have the bedding bin and food storage bin in the same room. They also have a water feeding station and I have build beds for each one lining the walls. They still have enough space to move around, and I can even add an oil filled heater if needed. Don't think it is enough for them to be there day and night, but they are happy in there at night. In the day the free range anyway. For your 4 all you need is 4 sqft, which is a little bit more then a dog house. They don't need much at all. What I would suggest is a 8x8 foot shed and a divider wall in the center. That way you can keep the food and bedding in there too, and they have plenty of space to move around.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Quote:
She said she had muscovies and muscovies are tree ducks whose normal range is central america. I had muscovies on the shores of Lake Ontario not as cold as inland midwest or the mountains but -20 nights were common We kept ours in a normal henhouse and the muscovies would head for the high roosts at night (yes they roosted, they are tree ducks) We kept a heated bucket by the door opposite the roosts. Muscovies are not the great swimmers that other ducks are. they liked to go outside when it was reasonable weather the webbed foot works somewhat like snow shoes so they could often walk on top of wind packed snow. I have seen them take 'snow baths' like a chicken dusting themselves. And when they had enough of the snow they would return inside which usually was above freezing because of body heat from them and the chickens.

muscoveis?, treeducks, I dont think so at least not in the same class as the true whistling ducks, oh and tree ducks, despite their name do not go into trees on any type of regular basis, LOL
muscovies are know as"cairina moschata" ALL 8 species of tree duck are in the anas subfamily called "Dendrocygninae" No where near the same scientific group.
If to be compared to a true wild species, they are most commonly related to the shelduck family.
They were at one time classed as a perching duck, but have been correctly changed to their more appropriate classification as a dabbler. (although they will perch, yes)
Muscovies are southern birds in the wild, but we are talking domestic fowl here, not straight from the wild. Any traits they had regarding weather in their natural habitats are long gone in domestic strains (seeing how they were started back in the late 1500's in captivity). They do just fine in all weather conditions. They are kept in all climates around the world, from the the arctic to the southern tip of South America and every where in between. They are one of the toughest most resilient domesticated breeds out there. And one of the most popular breeds in northern Asia (Russia). But yes, they can easily handle any cold here in the US. And if given a little shelter as others have discribed, there's no need to worry about them no matter how cold it gets

 

[jellybean]

A lot of people don't put water or food in their night coop. I definitely don't, it's messier. But if they have food and are locked up, they need water too. I keep their food and water outside the coop, but they don't get locked in the coop at night, just in the runs. It just depends on your setup, space, and how often you want to change the bedding.

 

[Broodica]

My DH says they don't need to be locked up in the coop. He thinks the run is as predator proof as he can make it.....I hope so!