Seriously, how cold is too cold?

[onaharley]

For me, too cold is when the ducks are not thriving. When they walk stiff-legged, hold their necks in, stop laying if they have been (for my Runners temperature matters more than light), shiver, have a faraway stare.

I get what you mean, they kept sitting down and tucking their poor bare feet in. They will follow me around everywhere, sit down get all settled, and of course I go back to the pen......and here they are right behind me....trying to get all settled again

 

[Amiga]

Awwwww

 

[Miss Lydia]

This is the first year any of my birds have used their houses during the day even though they always have access to them. Some of my bantam chickens didn't even come out side for days because of the frigid temps and ice and snow. So I had to put food and water inside. But I am thankful my water fowl are finally using their noodles and using their houses to get out of the worst of the weather. Especially since I have 2 Runner females molting this time of a year.

 

[onaharley]

This is the first year any of my birds have used their houses during the day even though they always have access to them. Some of my bantam chickens didn't even come out side for days because of the frigid temps and ice and snow. So I had to put food and water inside. But I am thankful my water fowl are finally using their noodles and using their houses to get out of the worst of the weather. Especially since I have 2 Runner females molting this time of a year.

Oh....I completely forgot you guys got snow down there!!! Good thing you have great setup. Is everything back to normal?

 

[BantyChooks]

Also Ducks take water into their Bills and oil up if bath water is not provided..Provide bath water..Remember they are water proof so won't freeze...

My indoor duck (Chrissy, if you ever read her story) would get completely waterlogged if I skipped her bath more than once. She had a 1gal bowl, but she still got un-waterproofed quickly. I guess she was a special case or something.

My current ducks have just been getting icy feathers when they do their 'sponge bath'.
Hoping it gets above 0* soon.... then they won't look like ducky abominable snowmen.

I do not provide bath water most days because I do not have time to lug 10 gallons of water just to have it freeze in hours. So, my ducks don't get bath water. Maybe you do have time, but I don't.

 

[BantyChooks]

I get what you mean, they kept sitting down and tucking their poor bare feet in. They will follow me around everywhere, sit down get all settled, and of course I go back to the pen......and here they are right behind me....trying to get all settled again

It's kinda comical, huh? Two steps... whumph. Two more steps... whumph again.

 

[Alaskan]

Hi there!

I am just wondering how cold is too cold for ducks? I have been trying to find a common degree in all these posts I have been reading but.... well you know, one can get lost in a sea of information on here! I live in SE Michigan and tonights low is 13F but feels like 3F outside. At what temperature should I be concerned? My ducks are locked in a pen with lots of straw on the ground, they also have plastic wrapped around the pen with vents going all the way around the top.

They free range (well every other day they switch out as to who gets to free range) all day. At what temperature do I keep them both locked up....in either their pen, in my not insulated shed or worse case in the garage?

Looking for numbers here, so I can gage when I need to take action. I'm new to ducks and just want to be armed when I absolutely have to kick into action.

Greatly appreciated, new duck mom!

I would pen them up, and not let them free range at about -10 to -20F.

I wouldn't worry about heat unless you stay below -40F for long periods.

I WOULD be very careful with the water at 10F and below. They will still try to bathe, and can splash water all over themselves and the ground, and then if the water freezes quickly, they will freeze STUCK to the ground.

Once we stay below 10F for long periods I remove all bathing water, and give them deep narrow topped pots to drink from. So they can NOT jump in to bathe, but can still dunk their entire face.

Whenever it warms up to the 20s or higher, I will fill up a small pan of water for them to splash in.

 

[buggymuffin]

My duck house is an uninsulated shed (with lots of hay to lay in) and we get temps well below 0F here in the winter. They are locked up at night for predator protection, but that is it. I quit giving them baths when it is below freezing mostly because the kiddie pool freezes. I do not put any food or water in the shed. They have a heated bucket for water. When it is really cold, they will come out of the shed long enough to eat and drink and then go back inside.

 

[BantyChooks]

WOULD be very careful with the water at 10F and below. They will still try to bathe, and can splash water all over themselves and the ground, and then if the water freezes quickly, they will freeze STUCK to the ground.

Yipes, really??

I'd best be careful, then... don't want ducks stuck to the ice.

 

[Alaskan]

Yipes, really??

I'd best be careful, then... don't want ducks stuck to the ice.

yeah... happened to me one year... I think it was the combo of wind and cold....

SOOOOOOOOOOOOO bad