Duck house for cold climate

[4 MimisPeeps]

Currently our 3 mo old Khaki pair are living in a upcycled Little tykes playhouse &'it's working well. We plan on building a wooden house for them. However, we do live in New England and think they will need something with insulation and something on the floor by winter. Any ideas out there?

Our chicken coop is elevated off ground, we use deep litter method and have the ceiling lined with the foil covered insulation panels.

Also, how would you suggest keeping their pool/pond from freezing? Currently just carry the chicken waterers into the service porch when we tuck them in at night & back out in morning.

Thanks in advance for any ideas

 

[toadbriar]

All you need is a roof, a windbreak, and clean, dry bedding. Then they can get out of the weather if they want to. I'm 'norther' than you

and everyone here does just fine in winter. I actually have a night pen with a roofed section, and a couple 3-sided shelters in the non-roofed section. Ducks are well equipped for frigid temperatures. Honestly I'd rather have air flow, especially if you're keeping water in there and using deep litter. I've been told with larger animals that an insulated barn can actually make them sensitive to the cold, as the temp change could be quite drastic between indoors and out.

Here's the kind of de-icer we use: http://www.farmandfleet.com/m/products/562535-allied-precision-bucket-utility-de-icer.html If they can keep bathing, they'll keep their feathers waterproof and dry. That's maybe the most important thing besides basic food and water in the winter, IMO.

---let me add that if I had birds with combs and wattles, or Muscovy ducks, or geese with big knobs, I'd be inclined to keep them better protected from frostbite. But even my turkeys didn't have any problems with their little bald faces, though I did want to knit them hats.

edited to add, this is what I mean by geese with big knobs, because it occurs to me it sounds kinda vulgar...

 

[Going Quackers]

My duck barn is elevated off the ground, and has a wood floor plus i use rubber stall mats, it's wood with mainly, old barn board as siding. I don't actually have an insulated barn there is likely some from the materials used but i have yet to add any.

Basically good venting and clean bedding are the important stuff for winter. I am Canadian, so my winters drag(we actually had snow in May this year and i mean a full on blizzard lol) for water i use heated buckets and have a trough heater for the pool BUT that i use with caution, i don't want iced up birds.

 

[Britesea]

I had read that you will get more eggs in the winter if your ducks have some insulation, but if that isn't important to you then insulation probably doesn't matter

 

[Going Quackers]

I had read that you will get more eggs in the winter if your ducks have some insulation, but if that isn't important to you then insulation probably doesn't matter

I have not heard that before, ducks are seasonal layers so it's normal for them to take a break especially over the shorter, colder days of winter. Mine usually cease late fall and resume in Jan or Feb the following year.