Ducks not eating & drinking

[kmanndel]

For the past 2 days, my 13 ducks haven’t really been eating or drinking out of their pool. It’s been below 32° so their pool is freezing and icing over so I’m always breaking it up and getting the ice out. I know they won’t eat if they don’t have water.
The only time they are drinking is when I’m putting my special needs duck in the pool for a little swim but they still won’t eat then. And they’re even walking over to the pool very hesitantly then.
I even put hay around the pool where there was ice so they wouldn’t hurt themselves.
I’ve tried leaving a small tub of water near their food and that still doesn’t work.
All they do all do is stay together in the farthest point of their fenced in area all day.
I don’t know what to do at this point. PLEASE HELP!

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Do you only provide food in the pool?

 

[DukesDucks]

I take my ducks pool away once the temperatures mean it is going to be icy. Instead I provide water in a container deep enough for them to completely dunk their heads. I fill one with warm (not hot) water first thing in the morning, and another one at lunch time.
Are you sure they are not eating? I rarely see mine eating except a couple of them when they are first let out in the morning. I know they are eating because the level of food goes down.
Have you tried offering treats or something they really like. That might show if they are actually not eating anything.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Some ducks don't like ice cold water especially if it's cold enough for ice to form. If you have never used that separate container of water before it's going to take a couple of days for them to get use to it since it's new. My ducks won't touch the water if it's cold enough for ice. Their 6' and 8' stock tanks get put up for winter and if it goes above freezing during the winter I will pull out their 63" round pool to fill up for the day. I always provide water separately from their swimming water (even in summer), but in the winter I switch out my regular 2 gallon buckets for heated ones (I use both mini stock tank heaters and heated rubber buckets both have worked great so far).