I need my annual winter assurance

[Aunt Angus]

Not a northerner and it gets NOWHERE near as cold here, but we had an unexpected snowstorm come through last month and dump a record amount of snow. It was my first winter with ducks. I had no idea how they take it.

I was digging out their run, and they were yelling at me to let them out in the midst of it. So I did. They went straight to their pool and quacked at me until I dug out the pool and broke the ice. They were so happy to be swimminsss in the cold! The fussy chickens refused to step outside.

I went to check on the duckies before they went to bed, and they were dry and happy in the coop.

 

[dreamofwinter]

They'll do great! Mine are currently out doing duck things in -4 degrees. No heat in the coop that they share with my chickens; they all snuggle down at night and seem quite happy and healthy. I do make sure they have good ventilation and lots of places to stay out of the wind, and nothing to actually bathe in. On days like this they throw water on their feathers and get covered in ice crystals, which is a good sign really - it means their body heat is not escaping out through their feathers, but staying inside their puffy down jackets

All that said, like you I worry about them on these really cold days regardless.

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

They'll do great! Mine are currently out doing duck things in -4 degrees. No heat in the coop that they share with my chickens; they all snuggle down at night and seem quite happy and healthy. I do make sure they have good ventilation and lots of places to stay out of the wind, and nothing to actually bathe in. On days like this they throw water on their feathers and get covered in ice crystals, which is a good sign really - it means their body heat is not escaping out through their feathers, but staying inside their puffy down jackets

All that said, like you I worry about them on these really cold days regardless.

Thank you, I hadn’t thought that way about the ice crystals!

It is -20 degrees F this AM. Everyone is still moving around (aka still alive). Matilda is still acting 100% normal. The other 3 have complaints.

 

[corriemartin]

When it gets well below freezing, I shut the north window of the duck house, which is usually open for a cross-breeze. The front (south) side is completely open (covered with cattle panel and chicken wire), but they're out of the wind. Usually they have wood chips, but when it gets super-cold (like in the single digits), I throw a bunch of the sheep's rejected hay in there which they seem to appreciate snuggling into. And I have a heated bucket for water. They're all completely fine.

 

[DukesDucks]

It was -38c or -36F this morning. My Muscovy ducks were not impressed but are all fine. When I opened the ducky door to the run this morning, the top drake matched out as usual, turned around and marched back in. Usually everyone comes out later once the sun is shining. Today I felt badly so put their water and food just inside coop door.

I have deep shavings bedding in the coop which has south facing windows. Poops are frozen solid and I just have to keep adding more shavings on top until a big clean out in spring. At least there is no smell.

They have access to a run with a roof and tarped on north and east sides. After a major snow storm last week, 47cm or 18.5 in less than 24 hours, I covered the ground in the run with hay swept up from the barn floor.

They don't get pool time from late fall to late spring but their drinking water source is deep enough for them to submerge their heads. No electricity in coop so no heating or heated water bowls. I take out fresh warm water 3 times a day.

Even the peacocks, who could choose to stay in their coop area of the barn, are out in the sun perched on a roost with their toes tucked in