what age can ducklings go out in the Winter? (the temps here are around 30 degrees)

[ChickenLover200]

The ducklings we have are around 9 weeks old and pretty much sold white with some yellow still on their heads. They are muscovies.
What I really want to know is it alright to put them out now? They still have the heat lamp but I'm going to turn it off tonight probably. Because I don't think they need it. They will have hay to lay in outside (the others (the adults) don't have a coop) The temps here are around 30 during the day and possibly get around 25 at night.. we have a bit of snow and it'd damp and rainy now.. I was going to wait a bit longer because I read something that said that they can go out at this age ONLY if the temps are really warm. So I just wanted to check before they go outside if any of you think it'd be alright..
Thanks!

 

[needlessjunk]

Are they use to being without heat? If the lamp has been on this whole time I would cut that out before you stick them outside. That's a pretty big change in temperature. They don't need the heat at that ages at all. Where do your current ducks sleep? Do they have a house? If they don't have a place to get away for the elements then I don't know if I would put them out. At that age though they really are pretty much adults.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Are they use to being without heat? If the lamp has been on this whole time I would cut that out before you stick them outside. That's a pretty big change in temperature. They don't need the heat at that ages at all. Where do your current ducks sleep? Do they have a house? If they don't have a place to get away for the elements then I don't know if I would put them out. At that age though they really are pretty much adults.

I agree too big a change in temps, ducks need to be able to get out of the elements wind rain and snow I wouldn't take mine out and leave them out in those temps.and conditions. and have the adults even met these young ones if not they are going to get alot of grief from the adults who will look at them as out siders. Even a 3 sided hutch with a roof would be better than nothing. and big enough so everyone can go if they want too. You need to acclimate your young ones to the out of doors to get them use to the temps. even if fully feathered.And what kind of protection do they have from predators?

 

[ChickenLover200]

sorry I haven't been able to reply..
I put them out this morning..
I cut the heat lamp out about an hour before I took them out.. Every day for the past week I was taking them out a little each day so they should be used to the temperature.. today is pretty warm also compared to some of the days we've had.
I was surprised when I put them out (I put the boy out first and then the girls) and the mother duck ran up to them and kind of "hugged" them she seemed to be glad to see them. The two adult ducks we had out already are a little over a year old. They hatched out the three babies. Since in July there was one duckling that the mother didn't pay attention to that went missing I decided I'd better put these three in a tote.. I felt bad taking them away from mother duck, but I didn't want the past to repeat itself.. only this time have three of them go missing.
The father duck was a little hesitant and would chase them away from food, but I put some food and water out separate for the little ones.
All the ducks are free range and they have a small shelter to go in out of the rain/snow/wind/other bad weather. There's a lot of hay to nest in and just as I was coming back up to the house the mother duck settled into the nest with her three little ones..

 

[Miss Lydia]

sorry I haven't been able to reply..
I put them out this morning..
I cut the heat lamp out about an hour before I took them out.. Every day for the past week I was taking them out a little each day so they should be used to the temperature.. today is pretty warm also compared to some of the days we've had.
I was surprised when I put them out (I put the boy out first and then the girls) and the mother duck ran up to them and kind of "hugged" them she seemed to be glad to see them. The two adult ducks we had out already are a little over a year old. They hatched out the three babies. Since in July there was one duckling that the mother didn't pay attention to that went missing I decided I'd better put these three in a tote.. I felt bad taking them away from mother duck, but I didn't want the past to repeat itself.. only this time have three of them go missing.
The father duck was a little hesitant and would chase them away from food, but I put some food and water out separate for the little ones.
All the ducks are free range and they have a small shelter to go in out of the rain/snow/wind/other bad weather. There's a lot of hay to nest in and just as I was coming back up to the house the mother duck settled into the nest with her three little ones..

Sounds like they have been accepted, Now I hope your keeping them secure over night because that's when preds are looking for food.