Duckbunker Winterization Ideas?

Nice setup!

Do you find the 1/4 inch wire cloth (I call it hardware cloth) to have a lighter gauge than the 1/2 inch? I use the latter.

Our duck house looks like this



And the area under the roof is covered with half inch hardware cloth



Since this photo was taken, a few things have changed. As their first winter closed in, I placed an indoor-outdoor thermometer in the house to monitor the indoor temperatures. I also installed a drop ceiling. I placed 2x4s a couple inches from the top of the wall as a shelf, then got three plexiglass panels 30" wide and 42" long (if I recall correctly). Those three panels sit on top of the 2x4s and I can open them any amount or close them completely. They let the light in. It kept the house about ten degrees warmer inside than outside with the ten ducks in the house and the doors closed.

What I discovered was that my runners - well, about half of them anyway - are not as cold hardy as the book says. The long and short of it is I moved them into a pen in the walkout basement and egg production and overall health and body condition started improving within four days.

I opted for this as I did not come up with what I felt would be a safe way to heat the duck house. It was actually less trouble to move them. They can still spend nights in the outdoor house in the milder weather, but since I now have upgraded the basement pen, it's so convenient to just keep them there.

I am not suggesting you could do what I did, just wanted to give full disclosure. I am happy with the drop ceiling, it holds in heat on the coldest of nights, but I can adjust the openings and therefore the ventilation quite well.

If I were really brilliant, I would come up with some kind of wall of water black container that would sit on the south side of the house collecting solar heat all day and release it to the house at night.

 

1/4 in is usually a finer gauge i have some on my big hens window i am changing it out when i get 10mins, it's been there for a long while but it's definitely weaker it'll go to 1/2 in stronger gauge. Now perhaps you can get 1/4in stronger but i have yet to find any.

I do run extension cords BUT a few caveats, heavy duty outdoor cords(so $$$) and they are hooked to a GFI breaker so if a problem occurs they shut down, don't overload either. Mine simply run thermostatically controlled buckets and bowls.

Sorry i wouldn't close that venting off for winter, if it's above the ducks so it doesn't cause a draft it will aid in allowing the bad air out. The entire top of my duck barn is vented as are my smaller ones, they never close, period and i know winter.