Hello everyone. You all have such beautiful ducks. Thought i would share some pics of my runners.
Indian Runners
- Thread starter 1eyejer
- Start date
Beautiful runners, DUCKOBSESSED 
My runners are not too happy right now. Temps dropped from 60F to 30F in 3 hours to kick it all off. It's been consistently under 15F for the last few days. My poor ducks hate it. I know everyone says ducks are cold hardy, but I'm afraid they might be wrong about runners.
I was strongly inclined to put a 250W heat lamp in their duck house last night as temps were expected to drop to 0F... so I did. I'm leaving it for the next few days until temps hover around freezing. I say phewey to those that think this will make the ducks weaker. It's not like the lamp makes their house a tropical paradise, it just keeps it 15-20F. It's still very cold, but it's the best I can do.
They're also getting room service... feed and water inside the duck house. I keep the door slightly open during the day to help with ventilation and allow them to go outside if they want (they don't seem to much, though).
Funny how I was planning on no heat all winter and no feed in the duck house ever.
My signs that they are miserable (and why I decided to give them a heat lamp):
- Shivering
- Frozen feathers
- Not able to stand on feet for more than a few seconds at a time when outside
- High blood flow to feet (pinkish/reddish on webs)
- Stumbling because their little brains are torn between walking to their food and laying to keep their feet warm (I think, hopefully not due to numbness) -- which is why I moved their feed inside, so now they can move around a little more comfortably
Amazingly though, I got the most eggs this morning than ever before after a night of 0F... 4 eggs from 6 girls (between 6-7 months old). This was the first egg for two of them!
How does everyone else's runners do in the cold? What do you do to help them through weather that seems to be too cold for them? What are some truly cold hardy breeds (and I mean they do fine in 5F down to -10F or colder without added heat)? I just wanted to clarify because what's "cold" to someone in Florida is actually "nice" to someone in Minnesota
My runners are not too happy right now. Temps dropped from 60F to 30F in 3 hours to kick it all off. It's been consistently under 15F for the last few days. My poor ducks hate it. I know everyone says ducks are cold hardy, but I'm afraid they might be wrong about runners.
I was strongly inclined to put a 250W heat lamp in their duck house last night as temps were expected to drop to 0F... so I did. I'm leaving it for the next few days until temps hover around freezing. I say phewey to those that think this will make the ducks weaker. It's not like the lamp makes their house a tropical paradise, it just keeps it 15-20F. It's still very cold, but it's the best I can do.
They're also getting room service... feed and water inside the duck house. I keep the door slightly open during the day to help with ventilation and allow them to go outside if they want (they don't seem to much, though).
Funny how I was planning on no heat all winter and no feed in the duck house ever.
My signs that they are miserable (and why I decided to give them a heat lamp):
- Shivering
- Frozen feathers
- Not able to stand on feet for more than a few seconds at a time when outside
- High blood flow to feet (pinkish/reddish on webs)
- Stumbling because their little brains are torn between walking to their food and laying to keep their feet warm (I think, hopefully not due to numbness) -- which is why I moved their feed inside, so now they can move around a little more comfortably
Amazingly though, I got the most eggs this morning than ever before after a night of 0F... 4 eggs from 6 girls (between 6-7 months old). This was the first egg for two of them!
How does everyone else's runners do in the cold? What do you do to help them through weather that seems to be too cold for them? What are some truly cold hardy breeds (and I mean they do fine in 5F down to -10F or colder without added heat)? I just wanted to clarify because what's "cold" to someone in Florida is actually "nice" to someone in Minnesota
Last edited:
Amiga says because of Runners being lean and upright they need extra care in cold weather you might want to PM her and let her help you figure out whats best for your Runners for winter. Not sure on heat lamp though because if you lose power that's going to make it worse for them since they will be acclimated to the heat. Amiga has Runners by the way.Beautiful runners, DUCKOBSESSED
My runners are not too happy right now. Temps dropped from 60F to 30F in 3 hours to kick it all off. It's been consistently under 15F for the last few days. My poor ducks hate it. I know everyone says ducks are cold hardy, but I'm afraid they might be wrong about runners.
I was strongly inclined to put a 250W heat lamp in their duck house last night as temps were expected to drop to 0F... so I did. I'm leaving it for the next few days until temps hover around freezing. I say phewey to those that think this will make the ducks weaker. It's not like the lamp makes their house a tropical paradise, it just keeps it 15-20F. It's still very cold, but it's the best I can do.
They're also getting room service... feed and water inside the duck house. I keep the door slightly open during the day to help with ventilation and allow them to go outside if they want (they don't seem to much, though).
Funny how I was planning on no heat all winter and no feed in the duck house ever.
My signs that they are miserable (and why I decided to give them a heat lamp):
- Shivering
- Frozen feathers
- Not able to stand on feet for more than a few seconds at a time when outside
- High blood flow to feet (pinkish/reddish on webs)
- Stumbling because their little brains are torn between walking to their food and laying to keep their feet warm (I think, hopefully not due to numbness) -- which is why I moved their feed inside, so now they can move around a little more comfortably
Amazingly though, I got the most eggs this morning than ever before after a night of 0F... 4 eggs from 6 girls (between 6-7 months old). This was the first egg for two of them!
How does everyone else's runners do in the cold? What do you do to help them through weather that seems to be too cold for them? What are some truly cold hardy breeds (and I mean they do fine in 5F down to -10F or colder without added heat)? I just wanted to clarify because what's "cold" to someone in Florida is actually "nice" to someone in Minnesota
Hello everyone. You all have such beautiful ducks. Thought i would share some pics of my runners.
Beautiful runners, DUCKOBSESSED
My runners are not too happy right now. Temps dropped from 60F to 30F in 3 hours to kick it all off. It's been consistently under 15F for the last few days. My poor ducks hate it. I know everyone says ducks are cold hardy, but I'm afraid they might be wrong about runners.
I was strongly inclined to put a 250W heat lamp in their duck house last night as temps were expected to drop to 0F... so I did. I'm leaving it for the next few days until temps hover around freezing. I say phewey to those that think this will make the ducks weaker. It's not like the lamp makes their house a tropical paradise, it just keeps it 15-20F. It's still very cold, but it's the best I can do.
They're also getting room service... feed and water inside the duck house. I keep the door slightly open during the day to help with ventilation and allow them to go outside if they want (they don't seem to much, though).
Funny how I was planning on no heat all winter and no feed in the duck house ever.
My signs that they are miserable (and why I decided to give them a heat lamp):
- Shivering
- Frozen feathers
- Not able to stand on feet for more than a few seconds at a time when outside
- High blood flow to feet (pinkish/reddish on webs)
- Stumbling because their little brains are torn between walking to their food and laying to keep their feet warm (I think, hopefully not due to numbness) -- which is why I moved their feed inside, so now they can move around a little more comfortably
Amazingly though, I got the most eggs this morning than ever before after a night of 0F... 4 eggs from 6 girls (between 6-7 months old). This was the first egg for two of them!
How does everyone else's runners do in the cold? What do you do to help them through weather that seems to be too cold for them? What are some truly cold hardy breeds (and I mean they do fine in 5F down to -10F or colder without added heat)? I just wanted to clarify because what's "cold" to someone in Florida is actually "nice" to someone in Minnesota
I heat my ducks pen. I use two four bulb brooder lamps. My ducks have not left the barn since the snow came. We have around 14in right now. They are not happy. I also feed and water mine in their pen.
Last edited:
TracyLovesDucks,Beautiful runners, DUCKOBSESSED
My runners are not too happy right now. Temps dropped from 60F to 30F in 3 hours to kick it all off. It's been consistently under 15F for the last few days. My poor ducks hate it. I know everyone says ducks are cold hardy, but I'm afraid they might be wrong about runners.
I was strongly inclined to put a 250W heat lamp in their duck house last night as temps were expected to drop to 0F... so I did. I'm leaving it for the next few days until temps hover around freezing. I say phewey to those that think this will make the ducks weaker. It's not like the lamp makes their house a tropical paradise, it just keeps it 15-20F. It's still very cold, but it's the best I can do.
They're also getting room service... feed and water inside the duck house. I keep the door slightly open during the day to help with ventilation and allow them to go outside if they want (they don't seem to much, though).
Funny how I was planning on no heat all winter and no feed in the duck house ever.
My signs that they are miserable (and why I decided to give them a heat lamp):
- Shivering
- Frozen feathers
- Not able to stand on feet for more than a few seconds at a time when outside
- High blood flow to feet (pinkish/reddish on webs)
- Stumbling because their little brains are torn between walking to their food and laying to keep their feet warm (I think, hopefully not due to numbness) -- which is why I moved their feed inside, so now they can move around a little more comfortably
Amazingly though, I got the most eggs this morning than ever before after a night of 0F... 4 eggs from 6 girls (between 6-7 months old). This was the first egg for two of them!
How does everyone else's runners do in the cold? What do you do to help them through weather that seems to be too cold for them? What are some truly cold hardy breeds (and I mean they do fine in 5F down to -10F or colder without added heat)? I just wanted to clarify because what's "cold" to someone in Florida is actually "nice" to someone in Minnesota
I am not part of everyone (c:
I have written for years, especially when someone (no hard feelings, anybody) writes, "ducks are cold hardy - I leave mine out in below-freezing temperatures and they are fine," that that has NOT been our experience,
And when I have asked for specifics, sometimes I find that the cold hardy ducks have access to a 40˚F shelter 24/7. It depends on the breed, whether there are warmer hiding places or open water available, as well as probably a dozen other factors.
I keep my ducks in a night shelter that stays no colder than 40˚F in winter. It is also no warmer than about 75˚F in summer so they do not overheat. I give them a sprinkling of cat kibble with their food, since there are no worms available in winter, and they do better with a little more protein than there is in their bagged feed. If it is going to be below 30 and cloudy, they don't stay out all day. If it is going to be below 25, they don't stay out all day.
The buffs seem more comfortable in the cold, but they have their limits as well.
I understand the concern of a power outage and drastic temperature changes when the heat lamps fail. But, the weather naturally did that here. Holy moly, a drop of 10 degrees every hour. My ducks woke up to 60 degrees then bam! freezing by noon and 0 at night. The heat lamp I'm giving them now should help a little bit to ease them into the winter since it's barely heating their house. It's been a strange fall here in CO, amazingly nice. This is our first snow for the year in November when normally it comes October and even September (CO weather is sporadic to say the least). We had only one morning in October where it was just slightly below freezing. So mother nature didn't really allow my ducks to acclimate properly.
I've read Amiga's experiences, and they've all been very helpful. I understand she is able to move her runners indoors into an unused garage when temps are below freezing because she has a few that are especially sensitive to the cold. For me, the duck house is the only option, so I decided to add heat after the dramatic temp change and so much worrying and concern.
I won't be using it all winter, and will be keeping a close eye on them in the cold. I might use it on particularly cold nights (0 and below), unless they show me they have properly acclimated.
In my research, I still haven't found any resources (just a couple people here, myself included) that point out runners are unusually sensitive to the cold... there doesn't seem to be a consensus. I've emailed Metzer to see what they have to say.
I was thinking of ways to increase their fat consumption and thought to check the feed I use; and it's actually quite high (5.5%) which is probably a good thing I also feed it wet in the morning and night which helps them to really shovel it in The servings are small enough to not freeze up before they finish and big enough to give all 8 a good fill. Then free choice dry feed all day and fresh water throughout the day.
I've read Amiga's experiences, and they've all been very helpful. I understand she is able to move her runners indoors into an unused garage when temps are below freezing because she has a few that are especially sensitive to the cold. For me, the duck house is the only option, so I decided to add heat after the dramatic temp change and so much worrying and concern.
I won't be using it all winter, and will be keeping a close eye on them in the cold. I might use it on particularly cold nights (0 and below), unless they show me they have properly acclimated.
In my research, I still haven't found any resources (just a couple people here, myself included) that point out runners are unusually sensitive to the cold... there doesn't seem to be a consensus. I've emailed Metzer to see what they have to say.
I was thinking of ways to increase their fat consumption and thought to check the feed I use; and it's actually quite high (5.5%) which is probably a good thing
I also feed it wet in the morning and night which helps them to really shovel it in The servings are small enough to not freeze up before they finish and big enough to give all 8 a good fill. Then free choice dry feed all day and fresh water throughout the day.
Last edited:
Beautiful runners, DUCKOBSESSED
My runners are not too happy right now. Temps dropped from 60F to 30F in 3 hours to kick it all off. It's been consistently under 15F for the last few days. My poor ducks hate it. I know everyone says ducks are cold hardy, but I'm afraid they might be wrong about runners.
I was strongly inclined to put a 250W heat lamp in their duck house last night as temps were expected to drop to 0F... so I did. I'm leaving it for the next few days until temps hover around freezing. I say phewey to those that think this will make the ducks weaker. It's not like the lamp makes their house a tropical paradise, it just keeps it 15-20F. It's still very cold, but it's the best I can do.
They're also getting room service... feed and water inside the duck house. I keep the door slightly open during the day to help with ventilation and allow them to go outside if they want (they don't seem to much, though).
Funny how I was planning on no heat all winter and no feed in the duck house ever.
My signs that they are miserable (and why I decided to give them a heat lamp):
- Shivering
- Frozen feathers
- Not able to stand on feet for more than a few seconds at a time when outside
- High blood flow to feet (pinkish/reddish on webs)
- Stumbling because their little brains are torn between walking to their food and laying to keep their feet warm (I think, hopefully not due to numbness) -- which is why I moved their feed inside, so now they can move around a little more comfortably
Amazingly though, I got the most eggs this morning than ever before after a night of 0F... 4 eggs from 6 girls (between 6-7 months old). This was the first egg for two of them!
How does everyone else's runners do in the cold? What do you do to help them through weather that seems to be too cold for them? What are some truly cold hardy breeds (and I mean they do fine in 5F down to -10F or colder without added heat)? I just wanted to clarify because what's "cold" to someone in Florida is actually "nice" to someone in Minnesota
Hi Tracy, I think we are being affected by that same cold front. My ducks were not really ready for this drastic change in temperature. We just had our first snow in NE yesterday and my runner was not too happy about it. This was her first too and she turned right around and went back into her house after seeing it! She finally came out after one of the braver ducks thought she'd give it a try though. All three of my ducks seemed unhappy and cold, they were even limping while walking in the snow. I did put fresh bedding down in their pen so they didn't have walk in it anymore, and they seemed happier after that.
Sounds like it is the same cold front, so I'm glad to hear from you! The poor ducks. Mine were also limping... I think it's because they really don't want to put their feet down. I've seen a lot of attempts at flying, but it's just not a viable solution
Maybe I should completely swap out their bedding to be totally fresh like you did, that does sound like it would be nice for them. Was going for the deep litter method, but might need to adjust.
Can I ask you a few questions: what are temps there in Nebraska? Did you give the ducks any additional heat? And what are your plans for the rest of winter?
Sounds like it is the same cold front, so I'm glad to hear from you! The poor ducks. Mine were also limping... I think it's because they really don't want to put their feet down. I've seen a lot of attempts at flying, but it's just not a viable solution
Maybe I should completely swap out their bedding to be totally fresh like you did, that does sound like it would be nice for them. Was going for the deep litter method, but might need to adjust.
Can I ask you a few questions: what are temps there in Nebraska? Did you give the ducks any additional heat? And what are your plans for the rest of winter?
Hi Tracy! This is my first winter with ducks and mine are a little younger than yours at about 10 weeks old. I don't really know what I'm doing, but I will try to help.
The high today is supposed to be around 25 and the low was 16 I think. I wasn't going to give them any additional heat, but seeing them be so miserable yesterday has worried I made the wrong decision. When I built their house, I insulated the walls, so I thought they would be ok at night if I just stuffed it with straw inside. Their pen has a brick base that I just covered with wood chips that I can scrape out and replace. I think I'll be going through a lot of those this winter.
I also just took away their kiddie pool since I knew it was going to freeze, might have had something to do with their sad mood too. I did fill rubber tub for them yesterday afternoon and let them splash around for a while, that seemed to make them happier. I'm taking the hose inside with me in a plastic tote, that way I can fill their water and the hose won't freeze.
Similar threads
New posts New threads Active threads
-
Latest posts
-
-
-
-
-
Chickens Having Exclusively Cecal Droppings- Latest: Fluffy_Butt_Hutt
-
-
Latest threads
-
-
-
Requesting Wet Fowl Pox Advice- Started by carolinachickadee
- Replies: 0
-
Bloody Poop in 16 Week Old Pullets. Normal, or not?
- Started by ame0910
- Replies: 2
-
-
-
Threads with more replies in the last 15 days
-
-
-
How intense is your pecking order?
- Started by thecatumbrella
- Replies: 96
-
I know I’m probably going to upset some ppl, but I’m genuinely confused..- Started by z3lda3
- Replies: 91
-
-