I finally get the outside house ready and a low of 50 is coming out of nowhere! Let them sleep?

[enriquec]

Title says it all. They've been living in the green house for a few hours only, and a cold front comes in!

Low was 70 last night, and its suppose to be 50 tonight.. Ugh I really wanted to start keeping them outside.

This site, which seems nice. Wish I would have found it sooner. Says, optimum temp is 66 at 21 days, 59 at 28 days. They're 25 days. I'm not sure what optimum means but I'm not sure if 1. they'd like it, 2. they'd be safe

http://www.duckhealth.com/housmngt.html

I'm pretty sure they'd be safe since they get hot in the 70s but I dunno. They're definitely getting feathers, and have at least partially functional oil glands since they swim so much. Sometimes they come out of water looking dry.

So, should I bring them back in for the next two nights? After that its suppose to be lows in the 60s.

I hate the idea of bringing them in again. It has been such a nice half day just keeping an eye on them. And they seem to love it too. Its actually been hard to get them out, and I've left the door open, and even took food away to temp them to explore and eat w me wild style..

 

[enriquec]

I just had a 'duh' idea. Heat lamp.

 

[veronicasmom]

Be very careful with the heat lamp please. Those things scare me so much.
If it is 50 outside, what will the greenhouse temp be? Won't it be much warmer inside than the outside temps?

 

[dotporter]

I have to agree with veronica. I find that ducks can knock heat lamps down quite easily so we always use a "Heat cage" which is a wire enclosure in which the heat lamp is affixed. They're easy to make with a few two by fours and some chicken wire or you can just use an old dog crate and bolt it to a wall. Just make sure the wires are up where they can't land on them, try to eat them, or anything that Muscovy are likely to come up with to do with electrical wires. (I know that they make radiant heaters that affix directly to the wall, but I have an old barn and always worry about having a heat source that close to hundred year old wood. Plus, my ducks are stupid and would probably try to land on it anyways, since the rafters are WAY too high up for me to ceiling mount them).

 

[enriquec]

I was careful, they were safe

At 10:30 they were walking around away from the lamp and it was 56. They seem to be able to handle themselves

 

[veronicasmom]

great!!