I need my annual winter assurance

[DucksOhio]

Every year I freak out about the frigid cold and my beloved ducks in the cold.
yes, they have a always clean small barn, fresh food and water, and a very small poultry heater.

Next week, we’re expecting temperatures in the single digits, some maybe minus digits.

Please, those of you in the north, assure me that they will be okay. And please share your stories about your cruel winter.

 

[deidreg]

Winter in CT has been tame so far. Last winter we a run of single-digit temperatures. How did my young hens respond? They started laying eggs! I stopped worrying about them.

You're doing very well by your ducks. They know how to take care of the rest.

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

They will be ok, I promise! I’ve been freaking out more this winter than usual, mainly because there have been an excessive number of days and nights with temperatures in the range of 15 degrees or so below zero degrees Fahrenheit. Tonight is one of those nights, so I totally get where you are coming from.

Just think of how much luckier your birds are than the wildlife in your neighborhood. They have clean and dry shelter and dependable food and water. Look at all the blue jays and crows and deer that don’t even have that… and yet still survive!

They’ve made it through November, December, and most of January. They are now fully acclimated to the cold. They’ll be fine.

Hope this helps! If it makes you feel better, I panicked last week after allowing my birds to bathe in cold weather. I had to use a hair dryer on my Muscovies to thaw them out. My husband had to stop me from bringing the whole flock inside for the winter! That wouldn’t have ended well

 

[deidreg]

They will be ok, I promise! I’ve been freaking out more this winter than usual, mainly because there have been an excessive number of days and nights with temperatures in the range of 15 degrees or so below zero degrees Fahrenheit. Tonight is one of those nights, so I totally get where you are coming from.

Just think of how much luckier your birds are than the wildlife in your neighborhood. They have clean and dry shelter and dependable food and water. Look at all the blue jays and crows and deer that don’t even have that… and yet still survive!

They’ve made it through November, December, and most of January. They are now fully acclimated to the cold. They’ll be fine.

Hope this helps! If it makes you feel better, I panicked last week after allowing my birds to bathe in cold weather. I had to use a hair dryer on my Muscovies to thaw them out. My husband had to stop me from bringing the whole flock inside for the winter! That wouldn’t have ended well

Vermont is the REAL test! I get my pullets from Sugar Feather Farm in Berlin, VT. I know they're winter hearty.

 

[DucksOhio]

They will be ok, I promise! I’ve been freaking out more this winter than usual, mainly because there have been an excessive number of days and nights with temperatures in the range of 15 degrees or so below zero degrees Fahrenheit. Tonight is one of those nights, so I totally get where you are coming from.

Just think of how much luckier your birds are than the wildlife in your neighborhood. They have clean and dry shelter and dependable food and water. Look at all the blue jays and crows and deer that don’t even have that… and yet still survive!

They’ve made it through November, December, and most of January. They are now fully acclimated to the cold. They’ll be fine.

Hope this helps! If it makes you feel better, I panicked last week after allowing my birds to bathe in cold weather. I had to use a hair dryer on my Muscovies to thaw them out. My husband had to stop me from bringing the whole flock inside for the winter! That wouldn’t have ended well

Thanks so much! Vermont is probably colder than Ohio. My husband has had to talk me down about bringing them inside to live in the guest bedroom.
Oh how much i love my little monsters.

 

[CoopintheWoods]

I keep mine in an unheated coop all winter. Upstate NY.

Best wishes!

 

[BReeder!]

Every year I freak out about the frigid cold and my beloved ducks in the cold.
yes, they have a always clean small barn, fresh food and water, and a very small poultry heater.

Next week, we’re expecting temperatures in the single digits, some maybe minus digits.

Please, those of you in the north, assure me that they will be okay. And please share your stories about your cruel winter.

Your ducks have more than mine and mine are already in single digits. There's no poultry heater, just a bird bath heater in their water pool to keep it from freezing.
Plenty of straw or wood shavings several inches deep is all the insulation my birds need. They have a duck house, but spend their days out in the duck pen by choice.

 

[Stoney Meadow Maple]

They are fine, mine nest up outside in the wind and cold. -6 tonight-15 tomorrow, keep them fed, watered and dry and they will be happy

 

[Callender Girl]

My runners live in an unheated shelter, and last year, they were fine even when we reached an actual temperature of minus 22 degrees.

At a mere minus 6 degrees yesterday, they popped out of the shelter in the morning to sun themselves on the snow-cleared driveway.

For most of the year, they have water dishes large enough to bathe in; I use much smaller dishes when it's this cold so they won't. However, yesterday the two geese decided that standing in the small dishes was a good idea. Geese!!

 

[Crazy Maizie]

When you have outdoor animals, its not the cold that's detrimental, it's major swings in temps that cause issues. But, as long as they are kept well ventilated and not too cozy while indoors, they should be fine. Outdoors make sure they can get out of the wind, they have some straw to bed down in, and that their nutritional and water needs are met.