Ducks bathing in their water :(

[Shabby Chic-Hens]

Hello.
I have water in my chicken coop for the ducks to drink. They tend to swim in it. Problem is, where I live, we are getting freezing temperatures. Are my ducks going to be okay in this weather?
I know I am probably just panicking, but I really want to make sure my birds don’t die on me if I can help it!

 

[ruthhope]

I brought my Florida ducks up to frigid Northern Virginia at the beginning of January. They do not seem to have noticed the cold. Temps dropped to 14F one night and their water tubs froze solid as did their water pots in the shed, their new home. I had given them a lot of pine straw to snuggle in, but was worried sick all night!! One of my muscovy actually bathed in a wading pool with a large disc of ice. This morning their ducky soup I made last night and left in my rear porch had frozen over. They really didn't mind. I pulled off the layer of ice and they came and ate breakfast from it!

I think your ducks will be ok if they have dry bedding every night and are in a dry draught-proof coop

 

[Shabby Chic-Hens]

I brought my Florida ducks up to frigid Northern Virginia at the beginning of January. They do not seem to have noticed the cold. Temps dropped to 14F one night and their water tubs froze solid as did their water pots in the shed, their new home. I had givent hem a lot of pine straw to snuggle in, but was worried sick all night!! One of my muscovy actually bathed in a wading pool with a large disc of ice. This morning their ducky soup I made last night and left in my rear porch had frozen over. They really didn't mind. I pulled off the layer of ice and they came and ate breakfast from it!

I think your ducks will be ok if they have dry bedding every night and are in a dry draught-proof coop

Okay . Thank you!

 

[ruthhope]

Okay . Thank you!

I currently have 3 muscovy -- big drakes with thick feathers and thicker down under. Two of them may have snuggled together on the very cold night but likely didn't. The third did make a distinct nest in the pine straw and has continued to use that even on warmer nights. My biggest worry was my special needs pekin, Ping, who is very thin and doesn't have thick down. He sleeps in a dog crate [because he annoys the muscovy with his continual chatter in their faces and aggressive head movements] I think his crate was probably the warmest place in the shed on the night of the 14f freeze as it was surrounded on 3 sides by a tarp and one of the muscovy [the one who made a nest] sleeps on a tray atop the dog crate]. Ping's water tub in his dog crate froze solid despite the additional protections. I have come to the conclusion that pekins -- even skinny little special needs pekins -- are very hardy ducks!! But actually most if not all ducks are hardy.

 

[WingsysRoost]

Honestly, I worry less about my ducks than I do my chickens when it gets really cold out. Mine decided to sit out (under trees but still in a spot that didn't appear super sheltered) on the snow in weather that was at minimum -20C with high wind and blowing snow. They had access to shelter (which they did eventually use). At first, I was concerned for them since this is my first winter with ducks and I wasn't sure how much they could tolerate. They seem to handle damp and cold better than any of my hens do, from what I've seen so far.

I figure that, as long as they aren't starting to show signs of distress, they likely know what they can handle and can regulate themselves. This has proven true so far. I make sure they have access to somewhere dry where they can get out of the wind, and let them decide if they want to use it or not.