Should I be keeping my ducks locked up during this arctic cold front?

[Rafnel]

Hi all. I've got 6 adult muscovies that typically sleep in a small coop at night and free range during the day. Unfortunately, our weather has turned sour and the next two days will be in the negatives (fahrenheit). Typical winter temps here are lows in the 20s or 10s at worst, so this is a huge departure from normal. Wind chills are also going to be around -30F, so extremely cold.

I've currently got my muscovies in their coop with lots of bedding, heated water bowl, and food. Considering not letting them out in the morning for fear that they won't be smart enough to go back in the coop if they're cold. Weather tomorrow will be in the negatives until afternoon at which point we will breach 3F and then go back negative by 5pm.

Thoughts? Hate to keep them locked away for potentially 2 days.

 

[JenLedger]

Following it’s supposed to be -20 or less for 2 days here. We have a small coop and I was a little worried about wet bedding and such if I didn’t let them out at all.

 

[Callender Girl]

My only duck experience is with runners -- small, lightweight ducks who seem completely unfazed by cold and wind that makes me want to hibernate until spring. I leave their shelter open during the day so they can decide when they need protection.

Yesterday, they were semi-buried by falling snow. But, they still chose to lie outside with their feet under them and their heads tucked under their wings.

Hard for me to watch, but they had an open door, a sheltered coop and no desire to go inside.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Same here I have Muscovy Buffs and Runners. They have their choice of being in or out.
Until 2016 my Muscovy never went inside even during a snowstorm but when the Runners and Buffs hatched and would go inside at times during the day the scovy would too. They have a thick layer of down under their feathers to help protect them from the cold just give them a choice of where to hang out. Make sure they have deep bedding. I don't put food and water inside for my ducks they make such a mess then they are laying in the wet shavings that will freeze. So they have to come out to eat, Chickens have food and water up on a shelf away from the ducks and goose. I'd say in extremes that we're all getting this weekend just watch them and how they are acting, You may have to make them go inside if they look to be suffering. Oh and another thing I wouldn't give them any water they can climb into and possibly have the water freeze around them, Best way to get frostbite.

 

[Rafnel]

Thanks all. I will give them the choice then and also remove the food/water from the coop - initially I put it in there because I thought they might stay in their coop for a few days.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

We are having terrible conditions in Canada. -30 to -50 for the past few days. My birds won’t even go outside at -30 temps so I had to bring water and feed in when it hit -48 but this caused me more issues. I got frost build up on the walls and floors and had to rush all 16 ducks into the house. They are now enjoying being warm and spoiled with a kid pool in the laundry room to bath a few times a day
It’s a huge mess for me to clean but my ducks are spoiled rotten
Put temps go back up to zero this weekend and we can get them back outside
We are going to make adjustments by building a covered outdoor area so they can come out to eat and drink so the duck house doesn’t get moisture. I do run a small heater when temps drop that low to take the edge off and it worked great till I brought in water and temps hit -48

 

[Rafnel]

We are having terrible conditions in Canada. -30 to -50 for the past few days. My birds won’t even go outside at -30 temps so I had to bring water and feed in when it hit -48 but this caused me more issues. I got frost build up on the walls and floors and had to rush all 16 ducks into the house. They are now enjoying being warm and spoiled with a kid pool in the laundry room to bath a few times a day
It’s a huge mess for me to clean but my ducks are spoiled rotten
Put temps go back up to zero this weekend and we can get them back outside
We are going to make adjustments by building a covered outdoor area so they can come out to eat and drink so the duck house doesn’t get moisture. I do run a small heater when temps drop that low to take the edge off and it worked great till I brought in water and temps hit -48

Omg!! I don't envy your situation