Ducklings are too hot

[DuckinghamPalace]

I moved my 2 week old (now 4wo) jumbo pekins outside when they started panting. They’ve gone from sleeping in the coop to sleeping outside at night (in a predator proof run) and they are perfectly happy. It’s high 60s low 70s at night here. During the day it’s much worse and they pant like crazy (high 80s, high humidity) but they’ve figured out how to cool themselves by hopping into one of 3 kiddie pools I put out in their yard with one in the run. I have to dump them once during the day and fill up with cool water but they appreciate it and they love the wet ground after too. I also added a fan in the run that runs all day. They’re doing much better now and I don’t worry about them as much, I just watch them … it’s become my favorite past time.

When I first put them out I made sure they could only have supervised access to the pools but then it started getting so hot that I would just go check on them every 30-60 mins (if I wasn’t already out there doing other various projects) and I found them either sleeping in their pools or responsibly drying themselves off. I read that the sooner and more access they have to swimming the faster their feathers and oil gland developed, I don’t know about feathers (they’re about 50%+) but they are definitely waterproof and have been for a week.

So their little house does attach to the run, so should I leave the house door open so they can access the run if they want to at anytime through the night? Our garden is totally fox proof as we have a hide wall surrounding it, and their is no chance a cat could get into the run or house it’s too heavy and solid.

 

[Miss Lydia]

If your sure it's predator proof then give them the choice. Mine are on fenced property during the day so I have to make sure they are all locked up before dark. Top covered too?many preds climb

 

[HollowOfWisps]

If their outdoor coop/house is 100% predator proof I would move them out now. I keep my ducks from hatch in a cement floored, metal sided and roofed building (separate by age of course). Now that it's summer I also run a 30" agricultural fan in there 24/7 and open the end doors during the day which create a nice light breezy wind that goes through. My ducks LOVE the big fan! I set it mid way through the aisle outside their pens so they can't get to it. It blows down through their pens, but they all have areas where they can get out of the air flow if they choose to do so. Every morning when I go out there they are not panting just sitting on the edge of their pens enjoying the breeze (even the 1 month old ducklings love it).