duck house- now or later

[sayyadina]

Do they have any issues with extreme cold (-20 ish) and lots of ice?

The first part of our winters seem to involve a lot of snow. Then it will thaw & refreeze into April, also with freezing rain too. So everything becomes a skating rink until it thaws for good in April.

 

[FenDruadin]

Naw. They like cold better than heat. They are well insulated. You're better off worrying about shade, and making sure they have plenty in summer. However, in the coldest weather they will need slightly more shelter than in mild, so a house is a good idea.

I just re-read my previous response and realize I said "no opening larger than 4 inches." Four inches is WAY too big a gap--a fox can squeeze through that easily. It should have read TWO inches. And even that is large enough for a racoon to reach through and grab a sleeping duck, so I plan to cover the bottom few feet with hardware mesh.