Hey, All! New member to BYC but have found tons of useful information over the last 4 months just searching forum threads.
Some info: I live in Kelso, Washington in the great Pacific Northwest! I have 4 ducks and a goose. All female. I have a totally fenced in yard that they free range on while we are home and a 10x10 dog kennel with a duck house (with a predator proof door/lock) for times when we are gone and to overnight. No artificial light source is currently around them.
Right now, we let them out between 7 and 8 a.m; it starts getting light around 5:30, which I assume they can see due to the ventilation along the top of their house. They go to bed at dark. In the time I've had them (around 4 months) that is around 9:30ish. So now it's getting darker earlier and come fall and winter here dark will fall around 5; earlier when the weather is bad. I obviously don't think I should lock them in their house at dark during this time so what do I do? Add an artificial light source and lock them in their kennel for some protection and then overnight them around 9ish to keep the same routine? Any advice would be wonderful!
As an aside; this website is SUPER WONDERFUL and chock full of info for anyone curious about raising, as in my case, ducks and geese! THANK YOU!!!
Brandi
Some info: I live in Kelso, Washington in the great Pacific Northwest! I have 4 ducks and a goose. All female. I have a totally fenced in yard that they free range on while we are home and a 10x10 dog kennel with a duck house (with a predator proof door/lock) for times when we are gone and to overnight. No artificial light source is currently around them.
Right now, we let them out between 7 and 8 a.m; it starts getting light around 5:30, which I assume they can see due to the ventilation along the top of their house. They go to bed at dark. In the time I've had them (around 4 months) that is around 9:30ish. So now it's getting darker earlier and come fall and winter here dark will fall around 5; earlier when the weather is bad. I obviously don't think I should lock them in their house at dark during this time so what do I do? Add an artificial light source and lock them in their kennel for some protection and then overnight them around 9ish to keep the same routine? Any advice would be wonderful!
As an aside; this website is SUPER WONDERFUL and chock full of info for anyone curious about raising, as in my case, ducks and geese! THANK YOU!!!
Brandi