how long to keep the pool going ??

[PirateGirl]

Probably not since they don't have flesh like Muscovy's

Do you think a bit of vaseline or something would help like people use on rooster combs?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have used it on my scovy's and my roosters also. Last year one of my OEGB roos got a tad of frost bite on the tips of his comb lost the points. Problem with using anything on the Muscovy's faces is they are always dunking their heads into the warm drinking water so the Vaseline eventually just washes off in their buckets. But when they go to bed I have smoothed some on.

 

[chickens really]

Do you think a bit of vaseline or something would help like people use on rooster combs?

Depends on how cold is COLD...
Alcohol will freeze too if it's really cold...

 

[WVduckchick]

 

[Helloworld]

Oh no! Do you think mallard derived ducks are prone to frostbite on the face too? They sure do a lot of head dunking in icy water.

This can be prevented by rubbing vitamin E oil on the frostbite prone areas. It
Stays on them because so much thicker and it is good for them.

 

[llombardo]

I noticed about two weeks ago that the water is not draining like it was before because the ground is colder.

I was trying to go to November but I might not make it that long.

I'm taking the pool down and putting up a pallet shelter with straw--so they have somewhere other then the house to go in during the day. Next year I'm doing a different pool and I may try to keep that one oil and running all year long. it will be taller. If I can't do that then I will put a piece of plywood over it and use as a shelter

I will have one heated bucket for sure--possibly two. Dumping the water will be an issue with the larger one.

 

[llombardo]

I never thought about frostbite with ducks. How common is it?

 

[aliciaFarmer]

I keep ours year round but I'm in Oregon, which is different. We usually have mild winters. But we put pea gravel around the pool so when they splash all crazily, there aren't any big slippery spots.

 

[Angiesducks]

I have been following this post, my question is does anyone close their ducks pools/ponds for the winter? I have a 9 ft round 2 ft deep galvanized trough buried with a pump and filter set up that flows into a smaller spill way. It has some gold fish and plants. I will remove the uv filter for the winter so not sure if the pump and filter box will be enough to keep it clean. My concern is that my Chickens will get sick if they drink from the pool. They do drink from it now. My plan was to add a stock tank heater with a thermostat, or should I just try to close it and use a small wading pool for the winter.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

We don’t have tubs of water with our Welsh Harlequins, only a water tray with wire guard over it. We do escort the ducks to our 1/4 acre pond several times a week, for 4-10 hr of swimming. Oklahoma weather is erratic but not usually too far below freezing. Any guidelines on when they can go in the pond during winter? Not if any ice at all on edges?