Duckling outside cold weather

[BorealRanch]

I hatched a single duckling the last week of August. I've been bringing him/her outside to a rabbit hutch to spend the day with my adult ducks so he/She is not all alone all day but have been bringing him/her back into it's brooder with it's heat lamp at night. We have cool weather starting so I'm wondering if it is too cold for the duckling to be in the hutch with out an additional heat source. I left him/her in the brooder yesterday due to bad weather but it got disgusting so quick with him/her in it all day. How cold is too cold out for the Duckling? Today it was 4 Celsius.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It should be nearly feathered by now. I would wean it off the heat and let it start to acclimate to your outside temperatures.

 

[CayugaJana]

I agree @oldhenlikesdogs, the duckling should be ok if you wean it off the heat. In about two weeks, I would put it outside permanently with the rest of the flock.

 

[BorealRanch]

Awesome! Thank you! With how messy the one is in the brooder I'm almost happy only one hatched so I was motivated to get him/her outside lol (I had 38 eggs in the incubator... that's another issue though lol)

 

[CayugaJana]

They can stink up our whole house! I feel ya! I’m going to try to figure out an outdoor brooder from now on.

 

[BorealRanch]

They can stink up our whole house! I feel ya! I’m going to try to figure out an outdoor brooder from now on.

The rabbit hutch seems to work very well... if it was warm weather and there was more than one I think I would just have it near a power source so I could have a heat lamp as needed... cover with a blanket and/or tarp at night... this baby has been going out since it was 1 week during the day and is very happy out there

 

[chickens really]

Hello..I put straw into the house part and they do great. I'm sure your Duckling is ready to be outside for the night.