I have been putting out large rubber tubs (when the weather is nicer) to allow for bathing my Sebastopols will NOT get in it.. my Cotton Patch will but my pair of Sebs look dirty (which drives me crazy lol) Do your Sebs take baths for you in the winter? Its cold here usually in the teens at night.
I don't have Sebastopols, but I do have Embdens, Toulouse and Pekin ducks. With the weather we've been having lately, almost down to zero, then in the 40s, then snowing, then raining.... My ducks started to look like 'swamp' ducks and the Embdens were getting just a bit grubby around the edges. Everyday it's above freezing, very important, I put warm water into a large trough for them. I run a hose out to them from my kitchen faucet so I can make sure it is warm enough for them to really want to get into it. Most of them will use it, but please if you try this, make sure it's above freezing. My Chinese decided to make use of the tub one day when the temp was only 8 degrees and had frozen feathers afterwards. Not cool, but put him under a heat lamp for a bit and he was just fine. Lesson learned.....no bathing unless the sun is out and temps are well above freezing! Good luck!
I do not put out water in their pools while it is freezing the feathers freeze and then our sebastopols can not keep warm from the frozen feathers. Make sure to provide them water to drink and they will preen themselfs from the bucket of water. I have heated buckets..... When there is a warmer sunny day then get them ap ool but make sure to dump it in the evening so it does not freeze. In the nasty freezy weather my sebbis get looking a little nasty looking. When the freezing rain comes I keep them in for the day to keep the feathers from getting wet and frozen. Hope this helps you some. I have had sbbies now for 5 years. You learn as time goes by on what to do or what not to do for them. When I know it is going to be a freezy cold night I put shelled nuts in with their feed for the protein and it helps keep them warm.... Mine gobble up the nuts. It has shelled sunflower seed, pistascios, peanuts.
