So, when is too cold to open the pool?

[Stoney Meadow Maple]

I bought a 250w submersible heater, i have a 50 gallon rubbermaid stock tank that i will bury in wood chips and top dress in mulch, plan to put a foil face foam sheet over the top overnight. I think it'll work, my question is how cold is too cold? 10..5..-5? I mean, I figure they are good about knowing when they are hungry, when they need calcium, when its time to go to bed. Do i even not worry about it and let them choose all the time?

 

[Oncoming Storm]

I’m pretty sure that ducks don’t have certain nerves in their feet so they can swim year round. I read that somewhere but I could be wrong. But usually if it’s too cold, the ducks won’t swim. If anything, they can use it as a water source. But I do have to ask, how do you plan on cleaning the tank?

 

[Krazikatlady64]

Can't you get a thermometer for the water temp? That way you would know better what's going on.

 

[Stoney Meadow Maple]

Can't you get a thermometer for the water temp? That way you would know better what's going on.

Im not overly worried about the water temperature, if it’s liquid I know it is warm enough for them, its more the outside air temp being too cold once wet, i mean I know they are pretty water proof but..

 

[Stoney Meadow Maple]

I’m pretty sure that ducks don’t have certain nerves in their feet so they can swim year round. I read that somewhere but I could be wrong. But usually if it’s too cold, the ducks won’t swim. If anything, they can use it as a water source. But I do have to ask, how do you plan on cleaning the tank?

Tank has a drain, i was going to attach a hose run off around the corner. I plan to try a rubber stopper on a string like an old bathtub, as long as i drain the hose i fill with its fine, all down hill from the hydrant, i drain every use, pain in the rear but better than schlepping buckets .

 

[21hens-incharge]

For mine.......The pool will be closed when it means I have to haul buckets of water to refill it after draining.

For air temps I have not found anything saying at X temp they should not be allowed access to the pool. For MY comfort I plan to close the pool when the high for the day is below freezing.
I do not have a heater in it this year so I will have to drain it before it freezes solid....thereby closing it.
Next year I will have it moved to where I can use a heater.

One question.....When I got my rubbermaid stock tank it said floating deicer only...
Which submersible did you choose?

 

[Stoney Meadow Maple]

For mine.......The pool will be closed when it means I have to haul buckets of water to refill it after draining.

For air temps I have not found anything saying at X temp they should not be allowed access to the pool. For MY comfort I p!an to close the pool when the high for the day is below freezing.
I do not have a heater in it this year so I will have to drain it before it freezes solid....thereby closing it.
Next year I will have it moved to where I can use a heater.

One question.....When I got my rubbermaid stock tank it said floating deicer only...
Which submersible did you choose?

It is a little ring the size of a bagel. I am going to make a holder so A. Duck feet dint touch it directly and B. It doesn’t directly contact the water trough.

 

[threebrookscorner]

We are in northern Maine, every day the temperature is over 0 I give our ducks a pool and they keep it open a few hours even on single digit days. this is just outside the cellar door so its easy bang out the ice and bring the pool in every day, the land slopes away so it all works out. I keep an area of the run just out side their shack covered in wood chips so they can get off the frozen ground without going inside and have not had any frostbite issues.

 

[corriemartin]

This is my first winter with ducks, and so far, they haven't seemed to be bothered with ANY temperature. When the tank froze, and I broke the ice on it, they went in. I do have a heater now, so that it won't freeze any more, but I wouldn't worry about it too much.

 

[AquaDuck]

I'm a whimp so I won't let my ducks step in water when it's below -i dunno, 20 or 15 F? I had a drake that got badly frostbitten for stepping in water and not drying off properly so after that I've gotten very restrictive. Got heated buckets big enough for them to do their cleaning procedures while standing on dry land.

If the ducks are properly waterproof and have plenty of dry bedding to sit in afterwards they should be fine.