New duck owner

[heathermic]

I have 3 Pekin ducks that I got September 1st. They were 6 weeks old. So that would make them almost 4 months. They want nothing to do with me, but that is ok I guess. I don't know if I have males or females. How can I tell? Also, they never go in their hutch, even when it is cold. I have it set up for them, but they prefer to sleep in the middle of the lawn. I am concerned as we are starting to get freeze warnings. What should I be doing to get them prepared for winter? Two of them have already started losing their feathers for their winter coat. I hard that males usually do this first? Usually they all stay together all the time but the other day I noticed that the two who have started losing feathers were huddles together and the other one was about 2 feet away laying by itself. Is there anything to this? I know this is a lot of questions but I want to be a really good duck mom!

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

I wish everybody wanted to be really good duck moms. And dads too! My theory on cold weather is that I provide the ducks with a cozy spot to get warm in, I promise to lock them up safely if the winter storms get too severe or if the temperatures are sub zero for too long, but other than that, they pretty much decide for themselves if they want to be in or out. Ducks are really tough creatures, they've certainly surprised me with their hardiness. Have you visited The Learning Center, and you might think about checking in with the folks that are geographically close to you. For example, I know the Michigan Thread was really busy with folks sharing all their hints and tips for winterizing. Even if they have chickens and I have ducks, I still learn lots from seeing and reading about what they do. Look in the "Where Am I? Where Are You?" Under the "Social".