First winter with ducks!

[Duckworth]

This is only my first year and our low so far was 13F. I don't heat. It's going to get a lot colder here, as low as -10 to -15F. My duck house is insulated in floor, walls, and roof, but has big HW cloth windows. I put a tarp over the north-facing window and slid styrofoam insulation into the lower 3/4 of that window to prevent direct wind. The east and south windows are open, but I cover loosely with a tarp when it gets really windy or very cold. The west window vents into the run/pen, which is roofed and has a tarp over the north and part of the west side and is completely open on the south side.

I use deep litter in the house and fluff the upper layers of straw daily to move wet poop down towards the bottom, adding more straw when needed. The composting adds a small amount of heat. I could rig an aluminum can passive solar heater if I thought we were going to have an extended sub-zero cold snap. I can also close more windows with insulation, but am aware of the need for good ventilation to keep frostbite from being an issue. There is no food or water inside the duck house to keep moisture lower.

 

[MagpieDucks]

First of all, I'm thinking that your winters are not nearly as bad as your winters. I don't heat my coops nor feed corn, and my ducks do just fine. It's supposed to be around -11 next week. I keep a thick layer of straw in the coop to keep them warm. Ducks are very cold hardy, and do fine in the cold.

 

[Ravynscroft]

Great points, @Duckworth and @ViolinPlayer123 !

And the key to their survival is acclimation... supplementing heat is not only a worry due to fire hazard (no matter how safe it is set up, that worry is still there) but is also a disservice to them because if power goes out, battery dies, solar setup is interrupted, etc, then they go from warm to bitter cold with no adjustment... that is what can kill a duck...

 

[Zolamarie]

Aah typical worried duck mom. I would ask @chickens really abotu the feed, but you are doing great when it comes to keeping them warm and all. Keep it up with the cracked corn at night to keep them warm unless you see signs of bloating or unwanted weight gain. Glad Gus is doing well and don't forget to have a thick layer of straw for litter to trap heat/ keep them warm. Hope they stay warm!

Thanks! And I do have a thick layer of pine shavings in their cool

 

[Zolamarie]

Congrats new duck mom, welcome to the club! Glad to hear Gus is recovering well. I second the notion that @Bridger Davis gave. @chickens really she does give great advice!

Them not eating their feed, more then likely has to do with all them goodies their eating!

Yeah I think it's the treats too

 

[Zolamarie]

Fresh chopped kale every morning for mine, it's great for calcium! They love it!

Yep! Mine loove kale! I eat a ton of it myself, so I just get a massive bag a week for all of us

 

[Zolamarie]

I know how you all feel. My first winter with ducks as well. I've posted in a few other forums about heating the coop and have done quite a bit of reading online as well and so far everything points to not heating the coop as it probably does more harm than good and it's a huge risk for fire but I honestly don't know the answer. Someone that I really trust made me promise not to use heat so I havnt but I've hardly slept at all worrying since the temps have dropped. I may have to take my ducks and move south lol.

Awe, I know the feeling! I only got the heater for a bit more warmth after Gus's surgery. It doesn't get very hot. Just creates a warm spot. I am veryy paranoid about causing a fire so I got this mild warmer instead of an actual coop heater.

 

[Zolamarie]

I would actually stop with the cracked corn unless you're only giving a little each night as a treat - while they love it as a treat, it is not a good source of nutrients for them, and it doesn't actually make them warmer. It's a good source of carbohydrates, which give fast energy when eaten, but it doesn't create more heat or anything like that.

While it is true that there is something called a Heat Increment which relates to how much heat a feed produces during digestion, cracked corn doesn't produce a ton of heat. In fact, proteins put out more heat when digested than something that's high in carbohydrates like corn does. So feeding corn would actually reduce the amount of heat put off by digestion compared to a bird's normal feed that is higher in protein. For a better explanation see this post.

Also, they do not need a heater in their coop. A heater can be a fire hazard and, worse yet, if the birds become used to being kept warm and do not get to acclimate to colder temperatures as the temperature naturally drops, and your power goes out and they are suddenly plunged into colder temps from the warm temps they are used to, they can actually go into shock and die.

I've had ducks for ten years and our temperatures regularly go below zero. I never heat my coops and all the birds are fine Remember, they have their own built in down jackets.

Thanks for posting!I only only give them a bit of corn at night. And the heater doesn't get very hot. It just creates a warm spot in the coop so they and huddle up to it if try want. The only thing I'm scared of is the extension cord, which is an outdoor one with a waterproof plug cover so hopefully it's not as dangerous.

 

[Zolamarie]

Great points, @Duckworth and @ViolinPlayer123 !

And the key to their survival is acclimation... supplementing heat is not only a worry due to fire hazard (no matter how safe it is set up, that worry is still there) but is also a disservice to them because if power goes out, battery dies, solar setup is interrupted, etc, then they go from warm to bitter cold with no adjustment... that is what can kill a duck...

The heater I have only gets warm, not hot. So for them to really get warmth from it the have to be right next to it. i don't think they even use it though. I only bought it for while my duck was recovering from surgery so idk if I'll continue using it..

 

[Ravynscroft]

The heater I have only gets warm, not hot. So for them to really get warmth from it the have to be right next to it. i don't think they even use it though. I only bought it for while my duck was recovering from surgery so idk if I'll continue using it..

I completely understand supplementing heat due to illness or injury, that is usually best for them anyways... hope he is ok now and healed up well...