muscovy ducklings in the cold

[daisyballard]

Hello, I am new to backyard chickens and I'm looking for some advice, We have a pair of muscovy ducks and I have just seen they have 2 ducklings, winter is just starting with a low of 4°c this week, the parents are with them and they have a floating duck house on a lake and a feeder, will they survive in this weather or should I try and catch them and get an incubator? Any advice much appreciated as I don't want to interfere if they can survive without it.
thanks very much
daisy

 

[Buck Oakes]

Well they don't need an incubator they need a brooder since they're walking around I would I don't know the Celsius scale or anything but I think that below freezing for y'all is 0 degrees and below and they should only be outside if it's warm to u, if u couldn't survive out there is a thin jacket and some sweat pants then it's to cold for them so I would bring them in if u haven't already

 

[Orca5094]

Yeah, ducklings should really be kept inside at that age and at that temperature. Do you have an enclosure you could keep the family in for awhile until the ducklings are older? Something with a nice house they can be locked in at night with warm, dry bedding out of the cold? If not, you could try to catch them and hand-raise them in your house for now, but of course it's always better if the parents can raise them. I just don't think Mom can keep them warm enough at this time of year to be out on a lake. Ducklings chill very quickly, especially when allowed out on the water so much like that. It's just too late in the season for those little ones to be out there.

 

[Buck Oakes]

Yeah, it's best to keep them with the parents if they are imprinted on them, I raise all my babies so if they hatch any they just give them up to me bc they don't know what to do