Favorite tips for winter care of ducks?

[DukesDucks]

Heated hose! Never heard of them. Could be a game changer for me. Not that I mind carting water through 2 feet of fresh snow at -35c.

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

Heated hose! Never heard of them. Could be a game changer for me. Not that I mind carting water through 2 feet of fresh snow at -35c.

Ahh, the good times winter provides! I have a little winter hose (just short and easy to drain), but I can’t use the faucet near the barn in sub-freezing temperatures as the entire pipe freezes. DH says that insulating the pipe above ground level isn’t enough, so buckets I must carry.

 

[KaleIAm]

Heated hose! Never heard of them. Could be a game changer for me. Not that I mind carting water through 2 feet of fresh snow at -35c.

I feel like a wimp now.

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

I feel like a wimp now.

Yeah, -20 degrees Fahrenheit is about as bad as it gets for me, and that’s usually limited to mornings in January and February. I can’t imagine worse than that. Those are the mornings that I find with great joy that my car’s brakes have frozen overnight. Do not like.

 

[indianaducks]

My labradors have taught me to not treat the ducks like humans... my labradors will swim as long as the water isn't frozen over... (and would still try if I let them). I'm not all that concerned, just figured I didn't want to buy things that weren't really necessary or make sure I buy something that is super useful. I will definitely make sure their straw is fluffy deep and keep water away from bedding areas. I'm not sure yet about removing their blue kiddie pool or not - will probably just see how things go.

 

[cheezenkwackers]

I might just need coffee, but what do you use the milk jugs with hot water for? Heat?

Yes. As the water cools it heats the air around it. It can raise the temperature by several degrees. Last winter it was 10 degrees F and the water in the jug wasn’t frozen in the morning. So, it never got below freezing in my ducks’s house.