I have 12 chickens and 7 ducks. Looking for a good home

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johnspillman said:
Do you have any advice on keeping the pen warm as the weather gets colder?
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In winter that is a constant struggle...

I have a "duplex" chicken coop, (like a walk in shed, with a wide shelf that covers about half of it) I used mismatched vinyl on the surface and the top "floor" is for ducks, under is hens. Being not on the ground it is warmer. I have a tile floor on the coop, so in winter I wrap styrofoam insulation with a piece of plywood on top in plastic and make that into a floor on top of the floor.

I tried leaving straw "deep litter" but I can't deal with the smell (or the idea of leaving them in their filth) so I compromise by putting a lot of straw and tossing it daily. After a few days I remove all of it and start again. Sometimes I can go a full week, but sometimes 4days is the most.

I used old cupboard doors that were made with single ply glass and old windows as the walls of the duck level so it stops drafts, but lets them see the area around. Makes it look bigger for them (my female duck likes to watch the hens, she can lie down, her little face next to the window and watch them for hours ) I used scraps of plexiglass to fix the broken panes.

In the worst part of winter I use a heat lamp in their space. This year I want to put in a thermostat (if I can find one) that sends the info to the house (like on a little screen or an app) so I can be aware of fluctuations instead of worrying all the time.

i don't give them bathtubs in their space at night because I heard they can try to sleep in the bath and the water can freeze (I have heard about lost toes and feet due to this) I give them a bucket they can get their face into all the way to shoulders, but too high to climb into. (Remember deep water freezes slower than shallow water)
 
Mother-Hen-Michele said:
In winter that is a constant struggle...

I have a "duplex" chicken coop, (like a walk in shed, with a wide shelf that covers about half of it) I used mismatched vinyl on the surface and the top "floor" is for ducks, under is hens. Being not on the ground it is warmer. I have a tile floor on the coop, so in winter I wrap styrofoam insulation with a piece of plywood on top in plastic and make that into a floor on top of the floor.

I tried leaving straw "deep litter" but I can't deal with the smell (or the idea of leaving them in their filth) so I compromise by putting a lot of straw and tossing it daily. After a few days I remove all of it and start again. Sometimes I can go a full week, but sometimes 4days is the most.

I used old cupboard doors that were made with single ply glass and old windows as the walls of the duck level so it stops drafts, but lets them see the area around. Makes it look bigger for them (my female duck likes to watch the hens, she can lie down, her little face next to the window and watch them for hours ) I used scraps of plexiglass to fix the broken panes.

In the worst part of winter I use a heat lamp in their space. This year I want to put in a thermostat (if I can find one) that sends the info to the house (like on a little screen or an app) so I can be aware of fluctuations instead of worrying all the time.

i don't give them bathtubs in their space at night because I heard they can try to sleep in the bath and the water can freeze (I have heard about lost toes and feet due to this) I give them a bucket they can get their face into all the way to shoulders, but too high to climb into. (Remember deep water freezes slower than shallow water)
Click to expand...
Well I see that you're in Canada & I'm in South Louisiana, so your cold weather is much more severe than mine. I started by feeding a couple of semi-wild ducks that stayed in the pond year-round. They somehow survived some freezing weather and predators on their own. I raised a few ducklings as pets and have taken in a single duck but have lost a few to predators. I keep my remaining three inside their pen at all times now but I now feel responsible to keep the pen from freezing. My 4-month-old female has lived her whole life in a drought and heat-wave and thinks that triple-digit temps are the norm. Unattended heaters are too dangerous and cutting it off after it gets warm won't work. It will quickly get cold again. I think I may cover the walls in clear greenhouse roof panels that will build up heat during the day, but lose it fast once the night temps drop. I just need a safe source of heat to get through some freezing nights unattended.
 
No not all ducks are like that at all. My blue Swede is very very protective and beautiful . He is very sweet. My other male as well who’s a jumbo pekin. I think whoever has ducks that behave like that have ducks that were not well socialized or the duck has something wrong with them. I have two males and five females and we have zero issues with disrespect etc
 
johnspillman said:
Well I see that you're in Canada & I'm in South Louisiana, so your cold weather is much more severe than mine. I started by feeding a couple of semi-wild ducks that stayed in the pond year-round. They somehow survived some freezing weather and predators on their own. I raised a few ducklings as pets and have taken in a single duck but have lost a few to predators. I keep my remaining three inside their pen at all times now but I now feel responsible to keep the pen from freezing. My 4-month-old female has lived her whole life in a drought and heat-wave and thinks that triple-digit temps are the norm. Unattended heaters are too dangerous and cutting it off after it gets warm won't work. It will quickly get cold again. I think I may cover the walls in clear greenhouse roof panels that will build up heat during the day, but lose it fast once the night temps drop. I just need a safe source of heat to get through some freezing nights unattended.
Click to expand...
"Thermal mass" is the Google search that will help you most. You don't need to invest in transparent greenhouse panels. Wood or brick (recycling whatever you have) will absorb the heat of the day and release it at night. It is most of what keeps your home warmer at night than living in a tent would, and cooler in the day than being in the noon day sun. The structure is absorbing the heat and it evens it out for you. If you had an old window and some wood you can build something that will serve you well. (Use what you have, maybe check out a local recycling center or the liquidation centers of local hardware store)

I suggest you not do heaters, sounds like they will be fine without. If you really can't sleep thinking of them outside, then something smaller in heat like the pads they put under planters for seedlings would be waterproof and not so hot as to be a fire hazard.
As long as you control for drafts, and give them something to cuddle into like straw/hay/wood shavings. (In my area straw costs more than pine shavings, but Straw is best as it dries out easily, wood shavings end up trapping moisture so you use lots more and it ends up more expensive)
 
Melissachix said:
No not all ducks are like that at all. My blue Swede is very very protective and beautiful . He is very sweet. My other male as well who’s a jumbo pekin. I think whoever has ducks that behave like that have ducks that were not well socialized or the duck has something wrong with them. I have two males and five females and we have zero issues with disrespect etc
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A substantial part of their good behaviour is your ratio of male/female. Their ages and breeds account for a part of it as well.

It is uncharitable and unkind of you to tell people their ducks' instinctive behavior is their fault. We all do our best, but instincts are not something you can teach them to disregard.
 
Mother-Hen-Michele said:
A substantial part of their good behaviour is your ratio of male/female. Their ages and breeds account for a part of it as well.

It is uncharitable and unkind of you to tell people their ducks' instinctive behavior is their fault. We all do our best, but instincts are not something you can teach them to disregard.
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Im not saying the people are not good to their ducks I’m just saying I have a large variety of ducks and none of my ducks have behavior issues because I am constantly training them and made them into what they are. Not being mean at all . Be well
 
Mother-Hen-Michele said:
A substantial part of their good behaviour is your ratio of male/female. Their ages and breeds account for a part of it as well.

It is uncharitable and unkind of you to tell people their ducks' instinctive behavior is their fault. We all do our best, but instincts are not something you can teach them to disregard.
Click to expand...
And believe it or not yes you can train instincts out of them. Just like I trained my dog not to chase even when he wanted to chase. Ducks aren’t stupid :)
 
Mother-Hen-Michele said:
"Thermal mass" is the Google search that will help you most. You don't need to invest in transparent greenhouse panels. Wood or brick (recycling whatever you have) will absorb the heat of the day and release it at night. It is most of what keeps your home warmer at night than living in a tent would, and cooler in the day than being in the noon day sun. The structure is absorbing the heat and it evens it out for you. If you had an old window and some wood you can build something that will serve you well. (Use what you have, maybe check out a local recycling center or the liquidation centers of local hardware store)

I suggest you not do heaters, sounds like they will be fine without. If you really can't sleep thinking of them outside, then something smaller in heat like the pads they put under planters for seedlings would be waterproof and not so hot as to be a fire hazard.
As long as you control for drafts, and give them something to cuddle into like straw/hay/wood shavings. (In my area straw costs more than pine shavings, but Straw is best as it dries out easily, wood shavings end up trapping moisture so you use lots more and it ends up more expensive)
Click to expand...
Thank you for your information and advice. I have read that sand has a high thermal mass & is a great choice for the floor. I was also told to use 4 or 6 ml contractor's plastic sheeting for the walls and, if necessary, an oil filled radiator set just a few degrees warmer. There is also a Thermo Cube TC3 outlet that will turn on at 35 degrees and shut off at 45 degrees. So I may have some cold ducks but I should be able to get them through the winter.
 
johnspillman said:
Thank you for your information and advice. I have read that sand has a high thermal mass & is a great choice for the floor. I was also told to use 4 or 6 ml contractor's plastic sheeting for the walls and, if necessary, an oil filled radiator set just a few degrees warmer. There is also a Thermo Cube TC3 outlet that will turn on at 35 degrees and shut off at 45 degrees. So I may have some cold ducks but I should be able to get them through the winter.
Click to expand...
I use 10mil plastic, it is the standard up here (our weather is very different, it may well be your local standard to use 4 or 6. Use whichever is available without hesitation.) your goal is to control for drafts, any of them will get you there.

I use an old radiator heater, but I once had one melt the plug it was in. Watch out for the connections, they are the places fires start.

My dad once heated a space for a feral cat I wanted to bring indoors with a lightbulb (I was a soft hearted 9 yr old. In fairness to my dad, that cat was not clean, he was right about it not coming inside. AND the space, once well insulated, was very toasty with nothing more than the heat from a bulb.)

An old dog house, a child 's playhouse, anything with walls can be used, Take a look at the imagination used in the section for houses here. Some are awesome, many are achievable.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/coop-run-design-construction-maintenance.9/
 

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