Seriously, how cold is too cold?

[chickens really]

This is what I have been using. Photograph was taken back in the days when water did not freeze over instantly when spilled, hence how nice and ice free it is.
View attachment 1212007

If I made something like that it would be frozen till spring..I have thought of making a less spill winter container but the entire thing would be frozen to whatever surface I put it on..The Rubber stock bowls are easy because I can kick them to get them unfrozen...So far what I have been doing is working..Although like everything, it might need changing in the future...?

 

[BantyChooks]

If I made something like that it would be frozen till spring..I have thought of making a less spill winter container but the entire thing would be frozen to whatever surface I put it on..The Rubber stock bowls are easy because I can kick them to get them unfrozen...So far what I have been doing is working..Although like everything, it might need changing in the future...?

So you only use rubber bowls?

Kinda wonder if I could make only a top shield for my bowls... would eliminate the frame part that gets covered in ice.

This waterer worked great for winter—when I had three ducks.

 

[chickens really]

So you only use rubber bowls?

Kinda wonder if I could make only a top shield for my bowls... would eliminate the frame part that gets covered in ice.

This waterer worked great for winter—when I had three ducks.

Yes, I only use Rubber livestock bowls for feed and water..

 

[chickens really]

Believe me I have brain stormed and have not come up with anything that won't freeze solid...My rubber bowls need to be kicked off the ground daily..

 

[Alaskan]

we use a pot, as in old kitchen pot. swap it out every day or 3 times a day, as needed.

The rubber bowls are two wide for winter. .. they will bathe in those.

 

[chickens really]

we use a pot, as in old kitchen pot. swap it out every day or 3 times a day, as needed.

The rubber bowls are two wide for winter. .. they will bathe in those.

Your opinion and I have all sizes and swap out as needed.

 

[Alaskan]

Your opinion and I have all sizes and swap out as needed.

it isn't an opinion... it is a fact... most of the rubber pans are big enough to bathe in.

Now, if you think that is a good or bad thing... that is your opinion.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes they are lol That is my Embden gander in a rubber bowl

 

[3bird]

Thanks all for the great info! Our seven silver Appleyards are experiencing their first winter in Maine, and it's been pretty chilly for the past bit (lows in the high single digits F and not getting above freezing most days).

Our ducks have an elevated (unheated) duckhouse with an attached covered run. We have been prepared to lock them in the duckhouse at night if it got "cold enough," but we have yet to do it, as they seem to prefer at night being under the duckhouse, which is entirely banked with straw bales. They have heaps of straw as bedding in both the duckhouse and underneath, and often the two females who are laying will go up to the duckhouse in the early morning to lay and sit on their nests.

Like the OP, however, we've been trying to determine that magic number for when we lock them in at night. To be honest, I think it's probably warmer underneath the duckhouse than in the duckhouse.

In terms of water, we are only giving them fresh water once a day in a heated bucket with the access limited so they can't swim in it.

At dinner time, we top the bucket off with freshwater and then completely dump, clean and refill it every morning. I'm curious about the "unwaterproofing," as we were looking to give them access to their first true bath in a month on Saturday when the temps are supposed to get to 40 F. Thoughts?

One other question we do have is about food. Since the ground has been covered with snow for the past couple weeks, there have been no foraging opportunities at all. At the same time, they are eating significantly less of their pellet feed and not very much supplemental cracked corn either. They still go nuts for greens (and mealworms, of course), and we're trying to get them to like a soup with split peas, greens, floating pellets, etc. Tonight they showed more interest than before in the soup, but their overall food consumption is down even though it's cold. Any thoughts on that front?

Thanks again for the great information from people so much more knowledgable than us! BYC has been a fantastic resource!!!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I noticed when we had 11" of snow on the ground and the temps were down in the teens my flock didn't eat as much. I saw them mostly laying around on their legs and feet with their heads back under their feathers. I guess conserving heat was more important. Now this week they are all back to eating us out of house and home since we have had better temps and finally the snow and ice melted away.

All you can do is keep the feed out and let them decide if they want to eat. I don't think healthy ducks are going to starve themselves to death. I do understand it is worrisome though I was concerned about mine too.
Hopefully with your weather moderating some you'll notice a difference in their appetites.