Shelter in winter

[Ksammy]

Brr it's getting cold especially at night. First I'm wondering if my 3 ducks are staying warm enough in there house, I felt better when the 3 of them cuddled in their house, in their house , which is a garden shed with 3 vent holes in it. Now my pekins have kicked my runner out of the cuddle house ( I call it). I think they are planning a family lol and threes a crowd. So he's sleeping on the side of the house now all alone. To be clear they have a good sized duck house big enough just to sleep in, inside the large garden shed. Lots of straw throughout . Second venting puzzles me, what's healthy and what's too cold or drafty . I know that was long all advise welcome

 

[springvalley123]

Of all the mallard-derived breeds, the Indian runner is the one who is NOT well suited for the cold, even if he had dry, wind free draft free shelter and company. can you put him in a crate with lots of bedding, in the duck house?

 

[Ratchnick]

How cold is it outside?

 

[Pollo Blanco]

I use a 100 watt reptile heater and a foam roof over the nesting portion of the coup when it is freezing overnight.
I have Runners, but I hadn't heard that they were cold intolerant before.

 

[Callender Girl]

Poor baby! Mine are all runners and they would think it luxurious if they had a duck house inside a garden shed. The Terrible Ten sleep in a hardware cloth-wrapped, wooden-framed structure, with plywood across three sides on half of it (yeah, they probably are jealous that the chickens have much nicer digs) and a tarp across the top in winter.

Although I worry about the cold here, it's not unusual to see one of the ducks lying on ice and snow by itself, away from the flock, when they are out in the daytime. I haven't had any problems with cold intolerance, but it's a concern anyway because I worry about everything. I just threw another layer of pine shavings into their shelter yesterday because it's supposed to drop into single digits this week.

Hope your boy does okay!

 

[MissE]

How cold is cold? I ask because I've seen people worry about needing heat when the temps get into the 30s when I MIGHT consider a 75 watt bulb in the coop when it's going to be -25 or colder for several nights in a row.

 

[Ksammy]

Of all the mallard-derived breeds, the Indian runner is the one who is NOT well suited for the cold, even if he had dry, wind free draft free shelter and company. can you put him in a crate with lots of bedding, in the duck house?

I'm not sure he will stay in a crate , but he is in the duck house with lots of bedding.

How cold is cold? I ask because I've seen people worry about needing heat when the temps get into the 30s when I MIGHT consider a 75 watt bulb in the coop when it's going to be -25 or colder for several nights in a row.

Thanks you guys for all your wonderful information I think he's got a pretty good spot I'll take a picture of their house where they sleep i double checked on it this morning after reading that about them having cold and tolerance kind of freaked me out LOL. Glad to hear your responses this morning as well. I did have a flat screen heater in there on their roof of their inside duck house I might put it back, or use the reptile heat for a while. Cold is 21-25 degrees at night .
In the picture daffy ( runner is now sleeping on the side there.

 

[Ksammy]

Poor baby! Mine are all runners and they would think it luxurious if they had a duck house inside a garden shed. The Terrible Ten sleep in a hardware cloth-wrapped, wooden-framed structure, with plywood across three sides on half of it (yeah, they probably are jealous that the chickens have much nicer digs) and a tarp across the top in winter.

Although I worry about the cold here, it's not unusual to see one of the ducks lying on ice and snow by itself, away from the flock, when they are out in the daytime. I haven't had any problems with cold intolerance, but it's a concern anyway because I worry about everything. I just threw another layer of pine shavings into their shelter yesterday because it's supposed to drop into single digits this week.

Hope your boy does okay!

Brrr it could get that way here too as well the single digits here's our community center where they hang out when they're not in the yard it's a nice toasty place for them to regroup from the cold.

 

[Ksammy]

Guess I ran out of memory is n my phone , way to many duck and chickens videos and pictures I can't figure out how to use pics already saved. I'll work on it, so nice to talk to you all !

 

[Ratchnick]

20 degrees F, i wouldnt even be a little worried, and heating the coop is not a good idea for lots of reasons.