Ducks and cold

[beerman]

I want to get ducks for my son but I don't know if the cold weather will effect them more then chickens. My chicks go into a heated coop, will the ducks be OK doing the same? do they need water to swim all year? Does the cold hurt them more?
Thanks
Brian

 

[houndit]

Ducks do even better than chickens in cold. They handle all weather really well! Ours do not even have a heated coop. Congratulations on getting ducks.

 

[beerman]

I was going to buy eggs but Ideals special this week is $1.60 for hatchery choice. Can't pass that up.

 

[Scott]

Quote:
As mentioned before, ducks are actually more resistant to cold weather than chickens. On all but the very coldest days, they actually prefer to be outside. They dont have to have swimming water. However, they do need access to water that is deep enough for drinking and cleaning out their nostrils. They certainly seem happier tho with water to swim in.

 

[Chickie Mamma]

Hello, my ducks have done very well in cold weather. I bring out warm water in a bucket and they will wash themselves. They just need an area that has no ice or snow to stand on. Their feet can get frostbitten. My ducks love the snow and when it gets too high, they will hide inside. Good Luck!! Have fun

 

[Wifezilla]

As my husband tells me when I worry about my ducks during bad weather...

"Relax! They are MADE OUT OF DOWN!"

 

[beerman]

I just did my first live bird order I was going to order 20 hatchery choice ducks....had enough cash for 30!!!!!!!!!! WOOHOOO My 2 year old will get his quack quacks.

I really can't wait for my turkeys to hatch and grow I'm HUNGRY hehehe

 

[Sweetfolly]

Quote:
Like everyone else has already said, ducks thrive in the cold. I'm in Wisconsin and my ducks do just fine in their uninsulated plywood pens (with plenty of straw bedding) even when the nighttime temperatures fall into the negative teens. You just have to make sure they have someplace dry and not too drafty to cozy up in - but you'll hardly ever see them using it. I couldn't help but shiver yesterday when all my ducks were out swimming - it was only 23 degrees out, but they were splashing around, having a blast!

In my opinion, they should have access to swimming water all year round. They'll live without it, but they're healthier and prettier if they can have a swim every day. I don't have electric out by the duck pens, so in the winter I get big, plastic storage totes (the long, shallow ones like you'd put under the bed) and haul a few buckets of water out to fill them up in the morning. The ducks usually use it enough that it doesn't freeze before I put them inside for the night, and I dump it out so it doesn't freeze and crack overnight. Then, I fill it up again in the morning. In the summer, when I don't have to worry about freezing and I can run a hose out there, I use big kiddie pools and dump them and refresh them every few days.

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
Like everyone else has already said, ducks thrive in the cold. I'm in Wisconsin and my ducks do just fine in their uninsulated plywood pens (with plenty of straw bedding) even when the nighttime temperatures fall into the negative teens. You just have to make sure they have someplace dry and not too drafty to cozy up in - but you'll hardly ever see them using it. I couldn't help but shiver yesterday when all my ducks were out swimming - it was only 23 degrees out, but they were splashing around, having a blast!

In my opinion, they should have access to swimming water all year round. They'll live without it, but they're healthier and prettier if they can have a swim every day. I don't have electric out by the duck pens, so in the winter I get big, plastic storage totes (the long, shallow ones like you'd put under the bed) and haul a few buckets of water out to fill them up in the morning. The ducks usually use it enough that it doesn't freeze before I put them inside for the night, and I dump it out so it doesn't freeze and crack overnight. Then, I fill it up again in the morning. In the summer, when I don't have to worry about freezing and I can run a hose out there, I use big kiddie pools and dump them and refresh them every few days.

Good News heated hoses are now available! Sort of Pricy though: http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=2&p=64795&cat=2,2280,33160

 

[PlumTuckered]

I can't find Ideal's Hatchery Choice special on the site. All I see is the regular pricing.

Michelle