ducks showed up at my house

[mamasuze]

Two ducks showed up at our house this summer. One is a large white (Pekin?), one is smaller and light brown. The brown one lays eggs in the water of our pond. I got some chicken feed and have been feeding them, and we have a large pond and 4 acres of grass for them to forage in. I don't know the first thing about ducks. What do I need to do for the winter? We live in the midwest and we have snow in the winter. Usually the pond freezes over late in winter if it stays really cold for a while. I'm assuming they'll need some kind of shelter from the cold. Please help!

 

[sonew123]

cool-this is my first duck winter too! I put my 1 duck to freerange with chickens or in his pen but at night they all get locked up in cages in garage-Ive been told to get a nice dog house filled with hay and a heating matt under the hay-a small one just warm enough for them to keep their feet warm-something blocking wind and heavy snow from coming in it-???

 

[nettie]

do you have other animals? It's very unlikely a pekin would have traveled far to get to your house... if you have other animals you might have a drop off, or an abandoned duck. Some people who cannot not care for their ducks will drop them off in the middle of the night on someone's property hoping they'll take it in.