Night Light

[wildpeas]

My ducklings are 6 weeks now and I am wanting to wean them off their heat lamp. At this point they are just using it as a night light and there is a light on in the room all night as it is. Last night I didn't plug in their lamp and the room was getting dark. The neighbors came up their driveway and the lights from the car splashed across the room. One of my runners got so scared she ran full tilt into the corner of the brooder. It made a horrendous sound and shook the whole structure. I thought she had broken her neck for sure. The poor things were absolutely terrified and stood very still like statues and were scared of their waterer. Maybe they just aren't ready to be in the mostly dark? Would it be bad to get them a night light for their brooder? Like one of those battery powered touch lights? I felt so bad for them that I plugged their lamp back in. They immediately relaxed, laid down, and started grooming. They are fine when I unplug their lamp in the morning after the sun comes up even though we do not get direct sunlight in this room.

 

[jessiduck]

Runners ,and most ducks, are usually very jumpy...but I find this to be especially true with runners!
Mine are about 5weeks now and I just leave the light on at night. It wont do them any harm!
It's fine to put a night-light in their broodery or coop.

 

[Amiga]

We have a night light. When they spend the night outdoors (about half the year), they have a nice solar rope light setup. when it is about to run out of charge, the Big Light starts coming up in the east.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i notice my ducks don't sleep much at night. They take naps after coming out in the morning. i think it's their instinct to watch for predators at night. i have icicle lights up around all my coops. The chickens don't care, but i think my ducks and geese appreciate being able to see what's out there at night. And i personally feel the light keeps predators at bay.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have a night light for both my coops. they don't put out enough light to mess up their normal sleep cycle but it makes me feel better.

 

[wildpeas]

It makes me feel so much better knowing you guys use night lights. I was thinking I was being over protective. I will look into a solar setup for this summer and hopefully by winter we will have power run to their house. I was anxious about them being alone and scared in the dark.

 

[Amiga]

I leave the rope lights up all year and they work pretty well in winter, too. (But the ducks are in the basement pen due to temperature, and there is a dim light left on for them there).

 

[nickie]

Lol, I just started housing my ducks at night (lost a drake to a coon through a temporary fence for quarantine). I know my ducks stay up all night and my oldest duck (3 yrs) has never been housed. I put a night light in the house for her so she would be more comfortable and a bit less scared. The beat part, it was my husband's idea. It's a solar powered light that I set on top of a fence post to charge during the day and rest it on a support so it shines on their water at night.