How do you setup your barn for wintertime

[ghislaincote]

Hello,

I live in Canada, and it gets really cold during winter (-15 F), and we get a lot of snow. I am planning to have ducks next summer, as usual, but would like to keep some for wintertime. I was wondering if anybody that lives in a similar climate has tips as how to setup your barn for your ducks. I have several questions, such as :

- do you have a cold (non-insulated) or warm (insulated) barn ?
- do you have heaters for the cold days ?
- do ducks generate enough warmth to keep them comfortable during wintertime ?
- is your setup enough to have non freezing water or you use heated waterers ?

Thanks for your time ! If you have a couple of pictures that could help me setup my barn, feel free to send it to me !

Thanks again !

Ghislain

 

[DuckyDonna]

Hi and welcome to BYC!
@Jpat is near Halifax and can probably give you some good tips and information.

 

[Jpat]

Hey there! welcome to the forum

Yep iam in nova scotia, +30 to -25.

My barn is an old school rough cut pine batton board building with a tin roof. No insulation but lots of ventilation. I built it so the windows arent accross from each other so the wind wont blow right through, their feathers are very insulatwed, they stay warm aslong as they are out of the wind.

i put about 8 inches of pine shavings down and the ducks and quail do just fine!

So its simple, Dry, no drafts, lots of ventilation and lots of pine shavings on the floor.

 

[Miss Lydia]

If you have electricity heated water buckets are awesome. And to keep their barn from being a complete mess keep their food an water out of their house.

 

[threebrookscorner]

We are in northern Maine and I use an ice fishing shack for a duck house. It is insulated with pine shavings on the floor and no water inside, I set the food inside the door when it snows or rains but nothing inside at night. It was 2 degrees F this morning and they get a pool every day over zero. I also set out 2 gal drinking jugs and they have an area of pine chips on the snow too. About noon I bring frozen jugs in and refresh the pool which should do until bedtime when I bring it in. This is all right outside my cellar door making it possible, I just have to shovel the snow. A lot of people use heated water bowls but I wouldn't try any kind heater in their house.

 

[DiYMama540]

Agree with Miss Lydia...heated buckets are a lifesaver! They don't produce enough heat to cause any fire problems, saves a lot of water hauling. Just keeping a dry home for them, and making them get in it, they will be fine. Enjoy!

 

[ghislaincote]

Thanks to all ! I think I'll use a lot of wood shavings. The barn is well ventilated. I may build a small insulated coop inside with a heater, if they want to have extra heat. I'll have places for water and baths inside too, and let them out when the temperature isn't too harsh (not too windy).

 

[Miss Lydia]

If you decide to let them have water inside try an fix it so what ever you use to water them in they can’t climb into. Or splash all the water out over the bedding. Because if there’s a will there’s a way. Messy little critters they are.

 

[ghislaincote]

I kinow how messy they are. I have the chance to have ducks during summertime. Having water inside the barn is not the thing I prefer, but I cannot imagine how to have water outside only. When it's snowing, the waterers disappear, when it's windy it's not good for ducks, and when it's cold (and I mean not only below freezing, but really cold) having to cope with freezing water is a pain. I feel obliged to have water inside. Easier to deal with, and be sure that the ducks have constant access to water (waterers and pools). This will result in a big springtime cleanup when all the ice generated from the spills melts.

 

[Miss Lydia]

They won’t need a pool in the worst of your winter. Maybe some kind of containment where the water buckets etc will sit to try an keep the bedding dryer. When it was down into the teens with wind my bantams refused to come outside so I broke down and put an under bed storage container with an old plastic shower curtain under it on the floor then I placed the water bucket and food bowl inside the storage container. I was surprised it wasn’t completely trashed with my ducks in an out too but the storage container kept the excess water off the floor and the shower liner kept any water that got splashed outside the container off the shavings. I also secure a piece of scrap wood over half the buckets so no one can climb in and take a bath they can dunk their heads real good though .