too cold for ducklings?

[zippie]

hi folks!

i have ten two week old anconas that are doing very well on an enclosed outside porch area.
they are on hay bedding with a 150 watt heat lamp. but te next few nights the temps here
..upstate new york...will be going down into the low 30s and even high 20s.

i feel like they should come in but thy.ve gotten so big...thhat putting them all back into their tub seems worse...they.re a wee bit messy....

they are in a ten foot diameter wire eclosure...what if i covered it ...would that be enough protection? they.ve been doing great at night with temps in the low 50s.

your wise advises are most appreciated!!! thanks so much.

bill

 

[Amiga]

It's just for a few nights. Any way to move that enclosure into a laundry room or guest room? Our spare bedroom was the BrooderHaus for three months.

I don't think the bulb will keep them all warm enough at night.

I thought about wrapping the enclosure, but the ducklings need some ventilation, we don't want them to suffocate or suffer from poor air quality.

 

[zippie]

thanks for the input. i think thy.ll be coming in. even if i left them out..i.d be up every hour checking on them!

there.s no way to bring the whole shebang in.....oh well...better safe than sorry....the little buggers are starting to grow on me.....

thanks again . its always good to get a second opinion.

cheers

 

[Amiga]

Thanks for checking in. And for being cautious about their temperatures. I discovered my runners did not - and still do not - sleep next to each other for warmth, no matter how cold it is, so I keep them at 40F or warmer. Each flock is different. And at two weeks, they just don't have enough feathering or body mass to keep them warm enough, even in a pile. That's my feeling about it.

So thanks again. May they be a blessing to you, and you be a blessing to them.

 

[ducklover87]

I to live in northern NY. Adirondacks region. My babies are way older but I'm thinking of putting their heat lamp back out but I spoil my babies. With them being so young I would bring them inside. Do you have a bathtub that you wouldn't mind sharing for the night? Maybe that would give them a little bit more room? I brooded 15 inside for 6 weeks so I know what you mean about the cramping thing. Still I'd rather they be cramped for a Lil bit then freeze. If you had a shed or any place that is draft free you could use that with a heat lamp and they would be fine.