ducks & hot weather

[sayyadina]

We're having a pretty hot day (88F & 70% humidity), and I was wondering if ducks & geese can have problems with heat stress. They have access to swimming & drinking water, though they've been hanging out in their house for most of the day.

 

[toadbriar]

do they have shade other than their house? Mine were pretty happy to get under the apple tree in the cool grass with some breeze, cos their houses were shady but stuffy.

It can't be easy wearing down underwear all the time!

 

[bock]

Mine live through through every summer, when it's 115F almost every day!

 

[katharinad]

They do need some shade to get out of the hot sun. A pick-nick table should do the trick. I've also seen some shade cloth with grommets on ebay. The can be suspended between buildings or trees. The cloth will let air through so you don't have to worry that wind will rip it off. They usually cut between 60-90% of the UV. Then there are water misters you can buy at Walmart in the water toy section. Simply hook up your hose and turn on. They will reduce the temperature by 20 degrees. Some garden nozzles also have a mister stetting. I just hang mine into the fence and that is it. You can also freeze ice blocks and drop them into the pool to keep the water cool. Some people freeze veggies into the ice them so the ducks can nibble on them. Spray the soil occasionally to cool down the area. These are all things that can be done for ducks in the high heat. Do not put up fans, because they can irritate their eyes when dust is around. Also not all ducks are alike. For example ducks that live in a climate without winter at all tend to be more heat tolerant. So watch your ducks. If they sit panting then you need to help a little bit. Also it may be hotter in their house, so keep an eye on that too. You may have to block access to their house, if it gets hotter inside then outside. It depends what kind of house you have. You can also build a cheap A-frame covered with burlap and have the burlap hang into paint trays filled with water. This will wick up water and cool below it. The ducks can sit under it and feel so much better. You can also use a cloth drying rack to hang the burlap from. Very cheap to build.

 

[sayyadina]

Ok.

Their house has 3 windows & a skylight, and their house & little pasture is situated under our photovoltaic panels.

I have runners, welsh harlequins, a toulouse goose & an african goose, all almost 2 months old. We don't usually get a lot of heat. 2-3 weeks in August in the 90s, however we have very high humidity (>70%). Then our winters are super cold (-20F w/ high winds, snow & ice), but none of them have yet been through a winter here.

 

[katharinad]

So they have plenty of shade. You should be fine, just watch them and it they pant to much then you do a little bit more. Piece of cake...

 

[ChickenChik]

Ok not trying to steal the thread. But I am planning on building a run for my ducks (that I hope to get soon). The only problem is I have ABSOLUTELY have NO shade in my backyard. What can I do to provide some shade?

 

[duckyfromoz]

I have very tall fences and a shed that will provide morning and afternoon shade- but durung the middle of the day they have very little. I have found ways to improvise. In one are I have my daughters old trampoline. I intend on inclosing the sides of it one day for an outside brooder- BUt just havent got around to it- so in the mean time it provides plenty of shade. I also spray it with water so they can get under and have water dripping down onto them. I also have an old cover from a gazebo that I no longer use- Its the right shape and size to fit over my clothesline- So they can get some shade from that as well.

I also have made some small shelters from recycled materials that I can bring home from work. Colourbond fencing for the roof and the frames are old desks and benches that were no longer used. I used an angle grinder to cut the benches up into a managable size and have just wired the roof on. They are stable enough not to blow over in a strong wind- but not to heavy so that they cant be moved around the yard to different possitions.They arent much more than a metal frame with a roof - although one does have one side attached too.

Were you planning to enclose the top of the run?? It would be fairly easy to use shade cloth or even a tarp over the wire to provide some shade.

 

[ChickenChik]

Yes I was going to cover the top. Where can I find shade cloth?

 

[katharinad]

Search for:
Poly-Tex Shade Cloth

You can find it on ebay. You can then also get 4 pressure treated posts and 4 bags of concrete at home depot. Set into ground and put some eye hooks into the post and use ball bungees to fix the shade. That way you can take the shade down in winter. Shade Cloth made by Poly-Tex comes with a 25 year warranty. Not to bad I would say.