Feeling guilty winterizing...

[DoodlesDuckies]

I am slowly getting ready for our crazy northcentral Wisconsin weather. I had a kiddie pool in their run, they loved it. I pulled it last weekend. The disappointment on their faces when they went in that night was obvious. Pure disgust. They have always had food and water at night. I pulled that last night. I let them out this morning and they were RUNNING all over quacking like crazy and all 7 had their heads in the kiddie pools drinking like they haven't had water in days. I felt horrible. They have the run of 5 acres all day and food out to eat with water buckets. I have read on here that people pull their food and water at night. Is this something they will get used too?

My 2 geese who are housed at night separate adjusted beautifully when I pulled their food and water at night. ZERO DRAMA.

Back to my question....will they adjust themselves to no food or water at night in the hut? Is this just normal duck drama?

Thanks

 

[Quatie]

Ducks don't like change. This is pretty normal duck drama for them. Ducks often have a flair for the dramatic. You can give them anything they like and they will act like they have been deprived of it for years. I have never given my ducks water or food at night. None of them have had any issues. Often when I would let them out for the morning, they would run straight past the water and head out to forage.

 

[DoodlesDuckies]

Ducks don't like change. This is pretty normal duck drama for them. Ducks often have a flair for the dramatic. You can give them anything they like and they will act like they have been deprived of it for years. I have never given my ducks water or food at night. None of them have had any issues. Often when I would let them out for the morning, they would run straight past the water and head out to forage.

I just get a little worried with the lack of daylight we are getting into and the amount of time they will spend in their huts. Soon it will be dark at 4pm and not light again until 7am. Winters are a touch brutal in these parts but again...adjustments will need to be made.

Mealworms are a nightmare. You would think they are STARVING to death when they hear the bag. And they literally hunt you down, quack nonstop and follow you around until you get the bag.

I keep telling myself they are built for this, they will be fine, they will adjust and don't give in to their tantrums. The duck tantrums get me every time. I am a sucker for a pouting duck.

Thank You for your response. Those are far and few between on here.

 

[KathiQuacks]

I do not give food or water overnight either, never have, and they do fine. They can still be pretty dramatic over the food and water, especially the food, but I think they’re just greedy

 

[ruthhope]

I am slowly getting ready for our crazy northcentral Wisconsin weather. I had a kiddie pool in their run, they loved it. I pulled it last weekend. The disappointment on their faces when they went in that night was obvious. Pure disgust. They have always had food and water at night. I pulled that last night. I let them out this morning and they were RUNNING all over quacking like crazy and all 7 had their heads in the kiddie pools drinking like they haven't had water in days. I felt horrible. They have the run of 5 acres all day and food out to eat with water buckets. I have read on here that people pull their food and water at night. Is this something they will get used too?

My 2 geese who are housed at night separate adjusted beautifully when I pulled their food and water at night. ZERO DRAMA.

Back to my question....will they adjust themselves to no food or water at night in the hut? Is this just normal duck drama?

Thanks

My ducks have always had food and water at night, but I have currently had to pull the food for different reasons -- an invasion of rats. While I am addressing that issue, it's no food at night. I go out an hour before bedtime and put out pellets with mealie worms on top. They ate the mealie worms the first day or two. Then, after a few days, realized they need to eat pellets too or they will be hungry overnight.

Your ducks will adjust quickly to the new feeding regime.

 

[yarrowhouse]

Fwiw, we give the ducks a little water in a little open container that hangs on the wall. Enough to dunk a bill. They seemed way more chill about being put away at night after we did this.

We leave it year round. North Carolina here.

 

[Jenbirdee]

no food or water at night since they were 2 months old. 9 years later still going strong.

 

[Canadian Wind]

Only time they get food and water inside is when I'm not letting them out (blizzard, -50 weather, stuff like that).

I'll be pulling their kiddy pools soon, when it remains freezing and I can't fill them with the hose. I love them but I am NOT hauling ten buckets of water to their pen in winter!

 

[Dwayne Bard Rock Johnson]

Fwiw, we give the ducks a little water in a little open container that hangs on the wall. Enough to dunk a bill. They seemed way more chill about being put away at night after we did this.

We leave it year round. North Carolina here.

Hi, could you share a picture of your setup? Is it a container you fill every day? Or does it fill from a larger bucket? I'm looking for some sort of indoor waterer for my ducks at night, but they make such a mess. Hoping I can find a solution that doesn't make the inside of their coop too wet.

 

[Sondraa]

We had to give our ducks water overnight on the mainland because it is just too hot. I put a 4 litre plastic milk cartoon just over half full of water with a cut out so they can't get in it. The shape means they can't knock it over. I put mine in the corners for extra protection. A friend of mine has a hook and a rubber band she attaches hers to.