Help solving the ice rink/pen winter problem

[allergymama]

We let our ducks free range during the day, mostly they are in and out of the small pond we dug for them (20'x20'x3' deep in the middle...it's not a steep slope). We feed and water in the pen at night. Last winter everything was an ice rink in the pen, around the pen, on the pen...well, you all know...you have ducks!

We went through 3 different heated water bowls, but the biggest deal was when they managed to freeze the door shut with their splashing. I would like to stop this from happening this year if I can.

I am wondering about putting a pond deicer/heater in to keep the water open (in Michigan so it's frozen for a couple of months) instead of watering them in the pen. They could eat/drink outside and then go inside for bed at night.

Is this safe for ducks? Has anyone tried it? Seems like the pond deicer/heaters don't get a lot of great reviews on Amazon. Advice? TIA!!

 

[JadeComputerGal]

We let our ducks free range during the day, mostly they are in and out of the small pond we dug for them (20'x20'x3' deep in the middle...it's not a steep slope). We feed and water in the pen at night. Last winter everything was an ice rink in the pen, around the pen, on the pen...well, you all know...you have ducks!

We went through 3 different heated water bowls, but the biggest deal was when they managed to freeze the door shut with their splashing. I would like to stop this from happening this year if I can.

I am wondering about putting a pond deicer/heater in to keep the water open (in Michigan so it's frozen for a couple of months) instead of watering them in the pen. They could eat/drink outside and then go inside for bed at night.

Is this safe for ducks? Has anyone tried it? Seems like the pond deicer/heaters don't get a lot of great reviews on Amazon. Advice? TIA!!

They definitely don't get great reviews, much to the disappointment of me and my hubby. My hubby set up a system with circulation from one pond to another, and the water gets somewhat heated in cold weather. I cannot imagine having ducks in Michigan. That has to be a months-long battle.

I don't think what you're proposing would hurt them as long as they're fed regularly. I've read many posts from people who don't put feed and water in the nighttime pens. I hate the thought of ever leaving ducks without any water, but I can see how it could be the best option in some cases. Another thing you might want to try at first when cold weather sets in is to keep a can of lock deicer. You would normally find that in the automotive section of stores that have one, even like WalMart or Target. That's because most people use it to unfreeze their car door locks, but I think it would work in your situation as well.

 

[allergymama]

I have always had food and water available to them 24/7, but cannot have a repeat of last year (if you can picture me and 2 kids out trying to chip the ice off the inside of the door, through the 1/2" hardware mesh, and pry the door open to get into the pen where the food and water was...we probably could have made money on America's Funniest Videos!) I know some people don't feed at night, and I am going to try that IF I can figure out a way for them to have a good water source during the day (I was not happy with the three heated water bowls I used last year either).

It's a bigger issue than lock deicer will handle probably...it's a person size door that froze solid all the way across the bottom. LOL

Ducks! It's a good thing they are so cute!!

 

[JadeComputerGal]

I have always had food and water available to them 24/7, but cannot have a repeat of last year (if you can picture me and 2 kids out trying to chip the ice off the inside of the door, through the 1/2" hardware mesh, and pry the door open to get into the pen where the food and water was...we probably could have made money on America's Funniest Videos!) I know some people don't feed at night, and I am going to try that IF I can figure out a way for them to have a good water source during the day (I was not happy with the three heated water bowls I used last year either).

It's a bigger issue than lock deicer will handle probably...it's a person size door that froze solid all the way across the bottom. LOL

Ducks! It's a good thing they are so cute!!

Sounds like you don't have many options because of your climate. I didn't realize the extent of the ice you were talking about, so apologies for that. We have padlocks on our pens and had trouble with those freezing, which is why I suggested lock deicer, but you have a much bigger ice situation than we do. We've had issues a few times too big for lock deicer, and we've used a torch on those. LOL.

If you do find a heated water dish you're satisfied with, please let me know. We were battling iced-over water dishes for 3 months last winter, and our climate isn't nearly as cold as yours.

 

[allergymama]

Don't use "Farm Innovators" brand. First one lasted a month. Second one lasted a week. Contacted the company numerous times to no avail.

 

[DoubletakeFarm]

This will be my first winter with ducks and I'm trying to figure this problem out too. First off, there's no way a pond deicer will keep your pond from freezing; that isn't what they are designed for. They are made to keep a small opening in the ice so that there is still a gas exchange for the fish. I have one in my koi pond and it only keeps the water unfrozen about 4 inches around the heater.

I think the trick with ducks is going to be giving them access to water deep enough so they can clean their bills, but also keeping them from getting in the water and bathing in it. I use chicken nipples for my chickens, but that isn't going to work for ducks. I had geese last year and I used the heated flatback buckets TSC sells, but that isn't going to work either because the ducks aren't tall enough to reach those.

So I think this is what I'm going to try. I found this picture somewhere (probably here on BYC) and it's such a simple solution I don't know why I didn't think of it. Apologies in advance for stealing someone's pic but thanks for the great idea!