Hi, I’m looking for some advice on winter housing for Green Wing Teal.
I’ve had domestic ducks for years and I’m getting 2 pair of green wing teal next week. I live in Ontario Canada and our winters can be pretty cold and brutal. How well do the green wings do in the cold? I can build them a small enclosure in the barn (in a heated room) if need be and move them out to their outdoor aviary in the spring. The indoor enclosure would be 6’x4’ and maybe 4’ high. Is that big enough for the winter? I can let them out of there to swim in the heated room they’d be in. To put them in their outdoor aviary it’s 8’x24’, and the back 8’x12’ does have windblocks up on the walls and half the roof is covered (rest is 1/2” hardware cloth). I could supply extra heat if need be in the insulated dog house that is out there, but not sure if that will be sufficient as the breeder said they need a dry floor in the winter to keep their feet from freezing. I was planning to bed with straw, but some of it would still get wet where the roof isn’t closed in. I’m planning to close in the entire roof and add insulation to the walls in the back half, but won’t we able to do that til spring. I want to make sure they are happy and adjust well. Thanks, and sorry this is so long!
Picture is of closed in area in back of aviary.
I’ve had domestic ducks for years and I’m getting 2 pair of green wing teal next week. I live in Ontario Canada and our winters can be pretty cold and brutal. How well do the green wings do in the cold? I can build them a small enclosure in the barn (in a heated room) if need be and move them out to their outdoor aviary in the spring. The indoor enclosure would be 6’x4’ and maybe 4’ high. Is that big enough for the winter? I can let them out of there to swim in the heated room they’d be in. To put them in their outdoor aviary it’s 8’x24’, and the back 8’x12’ does have windblocks up on the walls and half the roof is covered (rest is 1/2” hardware cloth). I could supply extra heat if need be in the insulated dog house that is out there, but not sure if that will be sufficient as the breeder said they need a dry floor in the winter to keep their feet from freezing. I was planning to bed with straw, but some of it would still get wet where the roof isn’t closed in. I’m planning to close in the entire roof and add insulation to the walls in the back half, but won’t we able to do that til spring. I want to make sure they are happy and adjust well. Thanks, and sorry this is so long!
Picture is of closed in area in back of aviary.
