It’s getting cold here! Ducks absolutely will NOT use their house!

[Ducktown]

My ducks and ducklings could not climb the ramp I have built for them. I tried everything they would just make a few steps and if they just thought that they might start slipping, they jumped right off. I said to myself, why even bother and piled up some fallen leaves and hay in front. Now they easily jump 20 cm (ish) and just go inside without using ramp.
I'm sure I could train them to go inside with the ramp I made them, but I think it's better like it is now.

 

[buggymuffin]

Probably is my Drake weighed 15lbs and he was up in years, but ducks legs aren't real sturdy anyway so jumping an landing on hard surface could cause injury. This height was probably 1.5' if they jump fly that's totally different.

Wow. 15lbs? He was a big bird. I have khakis and Cayugas and the Cayugas are nowhere near that big. Mine all jumped/flew, (or were pushed/flew). My point was that mine piled out so fast, I would have been more worried that they would get injured getting pushed into any sides that may have been there. I think it all depends on your ducks and whether or not they are agile enough to spread their wings when they jump

 

[Jeniep]

How large of a house for 7 ducks?

 

[chickens really]

How large of a house for 7 ducks?

What breeds...

 

[AshleyNicole06]

How do you know when your ducks are cold??

How cold is too cold?

 

[Ravynscroft]

How do you know when your ducks are cold??

How cold is too cold?

Are they shivering?

As long as they have a nice dry place to stand or sit and wind is blocked, they should be fine... some runners have been known to have issues at extended periods of time well below freezing, and I would be concerned about Calls for long periods too, but most ducks do just fine... if their feet get cold, they just sit on them... they just need that dry, clean area at night, a thick layer of bedding...

 

[Ducktown]

They lay down and pull the legs up under their feathers when they are cold. I have seen that the first day with around -10°C temperatures. Since then, I haven't seen them being cold. They hate grass being frozen solid and hardly touch it. They rather nibble on bamboo leaves they can reach. They never ate bamboo, but it seems now during the winter, they somehow developed an appetite.

 

[AshleyNicole06]

Are they shivering?

As long as they have a nice dry place to stand or sit and wind is blocked, they should be fine... some runners have been known to have issues at extended periods of time well below freezing, and I would be concerned about Calls for long periods too, but most ducks do just fine... if their feet get cold, they just sit on them... they just need that dry, clean area at night, a thick layer of bedding...

Yeah they are shivering. But they also love the snow? Lol They have a house to go into if they want, but they don’t go in it until I put them in at night..They’ll just lay in the snow.

 

[AshleyNicole06]

Are they okay to be out all day until I put them in at night?

 

[chickens really]

Yeah they are shivering. But they also love the snow? Lol They have a house to go into if they want, but they don’t go in it until I put them in at night..They’ll just lay in the snow.

Can't you put straw down for them?..I do in their run also.