Help should I bring them inside?

[vlapinta]

My calls spent their first night outside. They are 1 month old. It was @75 degrees. Now it is raining and 69 degrees. What temperature is Ok for them. They are almost fully feathered except for parts on their head and neck. They have a shelter attached to their pen but all they are doing is swimming around and peeping. They don't know to get in the shelter. Should I take them in the house of leave them? Please help

Vicki

 

[The Chicken People]

I would leave them but not out below 45 degrees!

 

[vlapinta]

Thank You so much for replying. The temps are hovering between 69 and 70 degrees. They remain uneffected, just swimming around. They also have a heat lamp set up in their shelter.

Can you tell I am a first time duck mommy??

Vicki

 

[1lpoock]

Duck are definelty fine around 70... Don't worry, they will be fine.

 

[Amiga]

If we use Storey's Guide, then they should be good to around 70, but being wet, can you keep an eye on them and watch for signs of exhaustion or chilling? If I had to go out for the day, I would get them under cover.

 

[chickboss]

My ducks love to swim in the rain. I don't think its about not knowing to go in, just probably not wanting to go in, which means they are fine.

I think you would notice some serious shivering, and huddling, and distressed peeping if they were truely cold. I"m assuming that you have put them in the shelter before and they know its there, and that you have made it so that they can get out of the pool (a brick or something). If you really don't think they get it, you could always leave them in the shelter part with the door closed for a little, so that they know where it is. My ducks were out at 5 weeks and the temps here were no were near as high as yours. They have swam everyday (temps in 40's-50's) and have been completely fine regaurdless of some freezing temps at night.

 

[vlapinta]

I have a door in the back of the shelter, so I opened it and called to them, they just looked at me through the door and turned around and went back out in the pen! They are laying together on the side of the pool, out of the water. I would feel more comfortable if they laid in the shelter. There food is in the shelter. I have shown it to them and they seem uninterested, but if I move the food outside they eat like crazy. It seems they are very skeptical of anything new. I can't figure them out lol!

Just went out again, temp is 69. I put their favorite, kale, in the shelter and made them come in to get it. There is no doubt in my mind they know they have a shelter now. Big sigh... I feel better

Vciki

 

[chickboss]

I have no idea what your set up looks like, but when you open the door in the back does it lead to outside of the pen or is it still inside? Does that make sense? If with the back door open, they are still enclosed, I would leave it open so that the space feels more open in there. Set the food so that it is easy to see from the doors. Some animals hate to feel trapped.

LOL, though I don't know how they really are but I keep getting this image of these cute little duckies all huddled up and whispering in these consprital tones "Hey Bob, I know how to really freak her out, lets swim in the rain, and then not go inside all day" Quack, Quack, Quack. Little buggers. LOL.

 

[vlapinta]

The door in the back leads to the outside, and its a raised pen, so I can't leave it open. Now with the kale in there, there is no way they can't figure it out! I had their food bowl in there all night and when they saw it when they saw the kale, they acted like it was the first time they say food, lol! Nutty little buggers!! They are just so adorable I can't get anything done around here. I keep going out to see what they are doing and spend time just watching them. I kept goimg outside with a flashlight last night.
I told my 16 year old she needed a hobby and she said, "lets raise ducks" I thought at first your kidding? This has really been a wonderful experience for the both of us. We incubated the eggs we picked up lcally. My daughter is wonderful with them. She has been great with cleaning the brooder 3 times a day. They make such a mess with their food and water. We tried everything, but I think they are just getting too big for the brooder. They love it outside. We got my husband involved in helping us build a raised pen which is working out great. We got the idea from Scott. We had them out in the pen last week for a day but then it got cool here again so they weren't out until this weekend. We have a valve to let the dirty water out, so it literally took me 10 minutes to clean their pool out and refill it!

Thanks again, you are all fantastic and if not for all that we have learned here we wouldn't have these adorable babies!

Vicki