Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[SunshineMary]

My ducks have always thrived in the snow and live in a kind of squat dog-house style pen.  Never had a problem.  We just lock them in at night and usually they want to stay in the snow!

I have been having the same concern as gladahmae; my ducks and geese don't want to go inside the house my husband built for them except to lay eggs and to eat. At night they seem to like to go underneath the house to sleep. But they get up a lot at night and roam around in their yard in the snow. So far they seem to be OK, but I worry about them. We are wondering if we should lock them in their house in the evening or if it is fine to give them the choice to go in the house or stay out in the duck yard. Nighttime temperatures are predicted to fall below zero this week here.

 

[Folly's place]

Raz, how could you say that? Here we all are in beautiful Michigan, heading for sub-zero temps soon, and you're not happy about it/ Shame! Today most of my chickens looked outside and declined to play in that white fluffy stuff. Can't understand it, can you? Mary

 

[1muttsfan]

Winter Ducks thread

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/623372/how-do-you-keep-ducks-in-the-winter

 

[robyn8]

I'm worried about my rooster's frostbite. Yesterday afternoon his comb had just a touch of whiteish on it with possibly a little blister. His wattles looked fine and all the girls are totally fine. My neighbor suggested I put some Vaseline on it. I've conflicting things about that but I did put some homemade balm on it (just infused olive oil and beeswax). Today it is worse with black areas and his wattles have a little white too. I don't know if the balm made it worse or if it was just that it was colder last night. I'm just outside Ann Arbor and it was about 10 degrees last night I think. I think we have enough ventilation and we have about 6 inches of deep litter in there, which I turn weekly and add more to constantly. I think they all sleep in a pile on the bedding when its really cold, judging by the droppings I see. I'm not sure what else to do. Should I continue with the balm? He doesn't seem to care about the frostbite so far.
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Here are pics of the coop set up. the ventilation is on 3 sides at the top. I believe its 8 inches high all the way across the side with the run attached and then a triangle on each side.

 

[1muttsfan]

You may be having draft problems with the amount of ventilation you have. You could try putting up some baffling, such as strips of cardboard, to make sure that the wind isn't just blowing in those large openings. Air moving over moist body parts increases the risk of frostbite.
The white coloring is the initial phase, then that area will turn black, so it looks like the frostbite on your Rooster's comb is progressing as it normally would, and is not necessarily worse.

 

[robyn8]

Tha ma for your input! This is our first winter and we're still figuring it out. Do you think it would be a good idea to cover the triangle vents with something for winter and just leave the rectangle vent that is on the run wall open? That one has an overhang so it doesn't get much wind at all through it.

 

[Folly's place]

Consider plastic or something over the vent on the windward side, and open on the downside (Did I make sense?) So you block the wind blowing through, but it's still ventilated. Mary

 

[robyn8]

Thanks Mary! I'll advise the builder in the family (my husband, lol).
Poor guy built the coop to my vague instructions. I feel bad for my sweet rooster. But we'll get it figured out soon!

 

[aart]

I'm worried about my rooster's frostbite. Yesterday afternoon his comb had just a touch of whiteish on it with possibly a little blister. His wattles looked fine and all the girls are totally fine. My neighbor suggested I put some Vaseline on it. I've conflicting things about that but I did put some homemade balm on it (just infused olive oil and beeswax). Today it is worse with black areas and his wattles have a little white too. I don't know if the balm made it worse or if it was just that it was colder last night. I'm just outside Ann Arbor and it was about 10 degrees last night I think. I think we have enough ventilation and we have about 6 inches of deep litter in there, which I turn weekly and add more to constantly. I think they all sleep in a pile on the bedding when its really cold, judging by the droppings I see. I'm not sure what else to do. Should I continue with the balm? He doesn't seem to care about the frostbite so far.
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Comb tips and wattle edge look mildy frostbit...but white on earlobe is something else, comes and goes on some of my birds-think it's some kind of fungus.
Baffles on ventilation is a good idea...got to get in there when it's windy to see/feel what the airflow is doing.

 

[WalnutHill]

Comb tips and wattle edge look mildy frostbit...but white on earlobe is something else, comes and goes on some of my birds-think it's some kind of fungus. 
Baffles on ventilation is a good idea...got to get in there when it's windy to see/feel what the airflow is doing.

On some breeds white earlobes are perfectly normal.

Definitely block cross ventilation, but don't seal the coop up. If you see frost on the ceiling you've closed too much or have a moisture issue in your coop. Do you have a wooden roost for them to get off the floor? My birds roost year round in a hoop house type coop with wire sides.