How do ducks handle cold?

[grandpopduck]

We live in Northest Ohio in the snow belt region; our ducks are free ranging on 26 acres with a one acre pond. The pond has a circlulating pump that keeps about 200 square feet clear of ice in the coldest of weather. Over the past 8 years we have built 2 duck houses and a straw bale wind barrier. The ducks are not interested, they spend their time either in the water, or on the ice near the water, or on the snow. We have not lost any ducks to the cold, our biggest problem is critters in the May- Sepember time period.

 

[1234duck]

So in the freezing cold weather the eggs(which are in the nest) manage to do ok, without heat?? This has been a major concern for me. I'm new to the raising of ducks. Now trying to tend to their eggs. *" Not knowing if I CAN or SHOULD put the eggs back in the nest where I got them." I DON'T have incubator but, the eggs are in my house under a light in front of pellet stove. I rotate them 4x a day. The weather information you talk about has been a gr8 help. Thanks, Julie

 

[Just_Ducky_In_NH]

I am a beginner too but I believe different breeds are better at staying on the nest than others. my khaki cambells are not known to be good moms.

Cold eggs do absorb through their pores, water, smells etc. so can't be good left unattended.

My duckies played in the temp pond like it was summer yesterday....it was 28 degrees so maybe they are getting used to this. 20 degrees today. Big storm blowing in. This is them this morning but they hid all afternoon yesterday from a barred owl sitting in the tree above the pen. maybe you can tell by the pic that they have already swam in their drinking water: Oh, also, that is goldenrod my husband stored for them in a bunch...they love it.

 

[Where The Wild Things Are]

It has been below freezing here for over 2 weeks now. Some of the surrounding towns broke records yesterday for both cold low over night and cold daytime high temps. So far, so good as far as the duckies are concerned. They have been spending more time in their hut, but still spend a lot of time in their pond. The kiddie pool has been frozen solid for weeks, so I gave up on it. Once warmer weather is here, I will get them a plastic pool and another heater for next winter (the pool I have now is a cheap inflatable pool, I'm sure the heater would melt it). For now they will have to make do with only the little heated pond to swim in. I just have to pump out the poo water every other day  and to add insult to injury, both my hoses are frozen. I finally got tired of filling the pond with a bucket, so I brought in a hose and laid it in front of the fire for a few hours on Sunday. Now it's in the basement where it won't freeze again. And I have noticed that since it's been so cold, the duckies won't stand on the snow or ice for very long. They much prefer to stay on the straw covered ground. They get to come in for treats every few days. I bought them a "pack & play" baby play pen. I'll put them in it and give them guppies and mealworms. I know they prefer to catch the guppies, but I won't put guppies in their pond because of the heater. I know the guppies would hide in the "cage" around the heater. I can just see it now...duckies with branded bills from the heater coils. Not my babies! Anyway, I don't worry about the cold. They seem just fine...chubby happy little duckies.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

This is how much my ducks handle the cold.

Granted we do not get lower than 15 but they do not seem to mind.

This is where they go in to sleep at night, along with the rooster. They dig holes in the shavings and put their eggs in that nest and they have often been covered when I go to get them and are not frozen.

 

[NYRIR]

My ducks must be babies! They come out for very short periods of time.They have just a plywood box this year to bed down in at night.They always go in on their own at dusk.I have a heater in the pool but it doesn't keep the entire pool thawed and they haven't been in it since it initially froze over.I,m planning on picking up a smaller plastic container tomorrow and trying that with the heater.My ducks are getting filthy!I WISH they would get in the pool!I have a galvanized water container on a heated base outside in the pen and they drink from that.sometimes they'll drink from the pool but will not get in it...

 

[1234duck]

well I guess the really cold weather is fine for the ducks, mine have late night swim parties and are doing great. In the morning I go out and break the ice in the ducks drinking water when its frozen. Ducks must know some what if some things are good/bad, they survive in the wild without heaters/heated water.

 

[FunnyBunnies12]

I've got all my ducks in our basement with outdoor time for a few hours to a whole day for the adults. But I watch their behavior, especially my special needs girl. But when I see them shivering and can't keep up with alternating their feet up inside them, and ice chunks form on their toes, even though I will have a piece of rug for them to sit on, I then bring them in. For some reason my ducks don't seem to be handling the cold as I expected, and the 10 & 12wk olds aren't going outside yet, only for short periods. Not like mom and dad, but as I've said before next winter they'll be outside since there will be a bigger group and that way 11 bodies of heat are better then 2. But extreme weather they will come into the garage at least.

 

[NYRIR]

Wish I HAD a basement for that...but the DH would flip

I found two containers at Walmart that I hope will do the trick.They are low,but enough water can be put in to get them clean...IF they get in! Gonna see tomorrow...

 

[dianaross77]

So I have a potentially silly question. I have 2 ducks that I got from someone in November. We weren't ready for them to go straight outside right away so we told the lady we got them from that we would be putting them in a kennel in the basement for a few weeks. I was told that we had to keep them in for the whole winter because they would lose their "winter coats." Is that true? Or can I put the kennel outside and tarp the sides as a windbreak and build them a 3 sided straw shelter? I would really like to get them out of the house so they can stop yelling at me every time I walk past the basement stairs! And also so they can make a mess in their water and swim in their mixing tub.