Preparing ducks for winter

[CrystaBub]

I’d really like to hear from someone that gets the kind of weather I get in southern Manitoba.

-30 ‘C with windchills in the -50’s happens for a couple weeks , not a few days .

I’m not sure how I’m going to get them into water .....

Hot tub???

 

[BantyChooks]

Feeding- change of diet, low protein, higher protein, corn?, layer crumbles.
Heat lamp- when and what temp to start
Bedding- straw, shavings, etc.
Health promotion- dietary supplements baths, mite control.
Housing- all sides covered of enclosure?, straw on floor of enclosure.
(If I’ve missed anything feel free to ad onto the list).
Start by telling me:
Type of duck
Type of enclosure (enclosed w/run or free range)
Type of bedding you use/recomend and why
Type of food you use and why

Mostly medium size. Several different breeds. One Call duck.
12 x 12 coop, 30 to 40 birds total. They have the door open to the outdoors but they can't navigate in 3' snow so they rarely venture off the shovelled paths. I use pine shavings, they keep mess to a minimum and are cheap. I use regular old layer pellets, because they're cheap.

I switch them to solely layer, instead of the lower quality all stock and corn I supplement with in summer to cut costs. In winter, I feed just the complete stuff to ensure they're getting good nutrition when they can't forage to make up for possible deficits. I do not use a heat lamp, ducks are incredibly hardy and I haven't lost one to the weather yet, which would likely be defined as extreme by some people. Multiple weeks of highs below zero Fahrenheit. They handle it even better than the chickens. I don't have mite issues, and they get baths whenever it goes above freezing or close to it, which isn't too often, so they're in less than ideal shape feather-wise come spring. They do 'sponge baths' in their water bowls though. Housing is in a traditional coop style 12 x 12, with a few windows. I cover the big window to cut down on drafts but I leave the little ones for fresh air. They have just shavings on the floor, along with whatever hay falls down when I'm feeding the goats. Overall, winter care is pretty similar to summer care, just harder for the human that gets to lug 8 gallons of water per day.

 

[BantyChooks]

I’d really like to hear from someone that gets the kind of weather I get in southern Manitoba.

-30 ‘C with windchills in the -50’s happens for a couple weeks , not a few days .

I’m not sure how I’m going to get them into water .....

I don't encourage swimming in that weather. They get covered in ice and look miserable.

 

[llombardo]

I’d really like to hear from someone that gets the kind of weather I get in southern Manitoba.

-30 ‘C with windchills in the -50’s happens for a couple weeks , not a few days .

I’m not sure how I’m going to get them into water .....

This happens here too. I can see it now--gates freezing, my nose frozen, slipping and sliding--all that fun stuff. There isn't a break either when it gets like that. I'm just having a hard time imagining the chickens and ducks in this extreme weather. It's causing me to stress out. I got a good deal on extra extra large dog crates last year, but I only bought two. I wish I would have bought several more because my gut is telling me I will be bringing these guys in. I have rabbits and I did not feel good about them being outside last winter, but they did okay. They have heated water bottles and I loaded the hutches up with straw, put tarps around the hutches. I made the mistake of leaving their beds in there and they tore them up to get the fluff, which can be deadly for them. So this year the beds come out and the tarps will be around the whole run instead of the hutches. I Might see about covers for the housing area. They also had those heating pads you put in the microwave and they stay warm for about 8-10 hours.

 

[Knighstar679]

I am starting to think of putting fish tank heater in a water thing for swimming.

 

[llombardo]

I am starting to think of putting fish tank heater in a water thing for swimming.

I'm chsnging the swimming area in the Spring and I started looking for pond heaters for next winter. Nothing seems to do what I need it to do. I do have an extra pretty powerful aquarium heated that I have not thought about.

 

[Knighstar679]

I'm chsnging the swimming area in the Spring and I started looking for pond heaters for next winter. Nothing seems to do what I need it to do. I do have an extra pretty powerful aquarium heated that I have not thought about.

They make heaters that can heat thousands of gallons of water to tropical temperatures, so heating to a few degrees above freezing should be pretty possible.

 

[snow5164]

What about when they get out of the nice warm water? Will the water freeze on them ?

I’m thinking because my coop is heated to 0’C with an unheated hallway , I could let them bath and then put them in the warmer coop to dry?

I’m worried too

 

[BantyChooks]

What about when they get out of the nice warm water? Will the water freeze on them ?

I’m thinking because my coop is heated to 0’C with an unheated hallway , I could let them bath and then put them in the warmer coop to dry?

I’m worried too

Sure will. They look like snowmen. Unhappy, shivering snowmen.

0c would be just fine for drying off, they have enough time to get the water off their feathers that way.

 

[PirateGirl]

I find when it's truly terrible out the ducks choose to snuggle down in their straw and the chickens refuse to even exit their coop. I feel like keeping them out of the wind is key on these days. Wind chill doesn't count towards the temp they feel if they aren't getting blasted by the 75mph wind and snow. I check on them often when it's like this and make sure I see them eat and drink, even if it mean I have to offer food and water in their houses.

Once someone told me to think about the species of birds that live here yearround and do not migrate for winter. They survive without nice coops and are often smaller than chickens and ducks. We don't have many birds that stick around for winter beside the ravens, but if they can handle it while scavenging their own food and a place to sleep, my flock with food and thawed water and straw and a windproof coop will be just fine.