Moving ducks outside when it's cold

[Julielynn810]

I'm still not 100% clear on when my WH ducks can stay outside full time. They're 7 weeks old now, they still have some fuzz. I was going to move them out once they're fuzz-free...but what if it's 20 degrees at night?

I've been taking them outside quite a bit to get used to cooler weather, but it hasn't been that cold yet.

I'm getting mixed information and I don't want to put them at risk.

Also, will they be ok in a secure run (hardware cloth on all sides and top) if I get home late from work and it's already dark outside before I lock them in their house? Or do I need to have someone come over and put them away?

Sorry for all of the questions...I'm so scared of predators. I'm a member of a backyard chickens group on Facebook and every day someone posts something about one of their birds getting eaten. It's making me super paranoid.

 

[Julielynn810]

Here they are having a good time swimming

 

[Miss Lydia]

They are beautiful and look just about feathered in completely. If you have a house for them with lots of fluffy bedding where they will be out of wind they would probably be fine . Glad to hear you have you run covered completely with hardware cloth that is very important. Nothing is completely fool proof when it comes to predators but as long as nothing can dig under or climb in or rip chicken wire then they are about as safe as they can get.