Free Range ducks in the winter

[Blondiega1]

My boys are Pekin ducks and are free range on the 2 acre lake behind our house.
They come home every evening around 6:30 for their dinner. They get fresh corn and a grain poultry feed.
At night they sleep in some tall grass on the back side of the lake where it is more wooded.

I'm worried about them this winter.
We have winter temps here as low as the 20's and teens with wind chills sometimes below zero.
Snow fall usually once or twice a winter, but typically no more than 1-2 inches.
The lake has never completely froze over, but it did have some ice on it this past winter.

The boys have had the run of the lake all spring and summer and have not been housed in the 7 mths I've had them.
Do I need to build them some kind of shelter this winter or will they be ok to continue to roam free on the lake?

 

[La Mike]

It doesnt get quite that cold here but mine have never had any issues with cold
I would be concerned about predators though

 

[Kevin565]

I would build them a shelter. It would be a nice place to get away from the bad weather. Also the predators seem to be worse during winter because many of their normal prey is hibernating so they will hunt other animals.

 

[Kevin565]

It would also give you some peace of mind if you built them a shelter because you'd know they were safe.

 

[Blondiega1]

I don't worry about predators too much.
I've only seen a fox around here and frankly, the boys are bigger than he is!

Ben and Jmatt (my boys) stay out on the water for the most part and immediately head right back to the water and the first sign on anything that doesn't look like me or my husband! They are quite the scaredy ducks!

Where are you located lamike?

 

[La Mike]

I'm In Louisiana lol
A fox can tote off with the biggest of ducks so dont let that be your reasoning

 

[Blondiega1]

So how do I go about making a shelter?
I want them to have the ability to come and go as they please on the lake.

 

[Kevin565]

Here are some of the other members duck houses :
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=55358&p=4

 

[Blondiega1]

Thanks!

 

[Olive Hill]

Don't worry about the temps, they'll be fine. But as mentioned sleeping on the ground, outside leaves them very vulnerable to predators. Even a mink can kill a pekin duck -- I've personally had it happen. The predator doesn't have to look bigger than the bird to be a threat.