What do I do for my two Peking Ducks In the winter.

[jclu16]

I live in Tennessee and suppose to get in the teens this week. Got a heat lamp but there is straw in 10 ft chain link pen.They have a house but has a door and three Windows. The cage is go plastics around the sides where their house is at. The heat lamp TSC told me to purchase but can' t be used outside in wet weather,use d for indoor use.
I will send a picture

 

[Amiga]

How many ducks? Sounds like you have some reasonable concerns.

The ducks depend on you for their well-being, don't think it's weird to bring them into a room in the house or garage that will stay above freezing. I consider extreme cold just the same as a hurricane or other serious storm - if they need to be brought in temporarily, if their health or lives are at stake, it's a no-brainer.

You are right to pay attention to fire hazard, People have lost ducks that way.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

The good new is that ducks are amazingly winter hardy. Their feathers are very good insulation. Living in Michigan, getting down to the teens in winter is not unusual. When I had ducks who lived in an big aviary with shelters, they never used the shelters. If your ducks actually go into the house, they have more protection from the weather than mine chose to seek out. They may eat more in the winter to produce more body heat. Assuming that they are fully feathered adults, I would think your ducks would do as well as mine did in the winter.

 

[Amiga]

What breeds of ducks did you have, and how many?

 

[jdywntr]

Ducks need protection from drafts, snow, rain etc. They are very well insulated but domestic ducks were not bred to live in below freezing temps. Wild waterfowl migrate for the winter for a reason.

If their "house" has alot of openings, even a tarp draped around it will help. They will need a deep layer of bedding (straw, shavings, etc) in order to keep the cold from the ground from bothering them.

Any "heat lamp" is not going to be rated for outside use as the bulbs will shatter if they get wet, those things are HOT.


If the house has a closable door, close it at night and drape a tarp around the sides. If the door is an opening, get some hay bales to place around it as a wind break.

The smaller the breed, the less close their feathering and any type of flesh they have (ie caruncles on muscovy) require insulated housing for any area that gets below freezing.

glad to see that you are looking for some answers.

 

[jclu16]

two males Pekings

 

[jclu16]

Perkins two males

 

[fancyfowl4ever]

Oh boy you guys would hate to see my set-up for my australian spots(bantam ducks), muscovy ducks and geese....
1 big Water bowl with a floating de-icer, and 2 "shelters" made out of 2 bales of hay/straw that hold up a roof tin more or less just to serve as a place to put the food dish so it doesnt get snowed in.. We throw a flake of hay into the pen every couple days too. Even at -20 they rather just sit on the flake of hay(or whatever remains after they picked the alfalfa out) then under their shelters. Never lost one duck in 8 yrs with this way of keeping them. They are tougher then you think, domestic or not. Of course ducks that have already been "babied" will be uncomfertable with any cold.

 

[zooweemama]

We usually have 35-40 degree nights and 50 something degree wet days in the Winter. But for a couple weeks it's been very cold for us. In the teens and lower 20s at night and 30s to 50 during the day. So cold the pond ices over. Little patches in the deepest parts sometimes are not iced over. My ducks and geese have a house with a wood floor and a roof. We provide no heating. They have done amazingly well. And when they are let out of their coop in the morning they head straight for the pond and walk carefully on the ice until they find a thin spot or hole. One bails in and the rest follow suit and they bathe like crazy. They have a lot of places to shore up or even hang out in the coop but they choose to spend most of their time on the pond regardless of weather or temps. I have several breeds and so far all have been shown to be extremely hardy. Last Summer we had triple digits, this Winter...teens, lots of ice and even a teeny bit of snow. They have literally weathered it all wonderfully. My chickens did NOT do so well with the heat even with misters going. I lost a couple.

I think you should make sure their shelter is clean, dry and free from drafts. Nice thick bedding and honestly- I feel for the most part they should be fine. Watch them. See how they behave. Use your better judgement. I can't wait to see pics! We have 3 Pekins (2 girls and a guy) and they are silly as all get out.

 

[jdywntr]

Oh boy you guys would hate to see my set-up for my australian spots(bantam ducks), muscovy ducks and geese....
1 big Water bowl with a floating de-icer, and 2 "shelters" made out of 2 bales of hay/straw that hold up a roof tin more or less just to serve as a place to put the food dish so it doesnt get snowed in.. We throw a flake of hay into the pen every couple days too. Even at -20 they rather just sit on the flake of hay(or whatever remains after they picked the alfalfa out) then under their shelters. Never lost one duck in 8 yrs with this way of keeping them. They are tougher then you think, domestic or not. Of course ducks that have already been "babied" will be uncomfertable with any cold.

Wow. You must not have any predators in your immediate area or some good flock guardians. If I left my birds with that type of setup, the coyotes would make a great meal of them in no time, if the hawks didn't get them during the day.

I do think that they can survive in more extremes if they are accustomed to it but since most people raise their ducklings in a brooder, indoors or with a heat lamp, they don't have the opportunity to become accustomed to bitter cold.

The way I look at it is there are many folks out there that have WAY more experience than I do. When I give advice, it is what I have done or from info I have gotten from literature written by people like Dave Holderread.

Err on the side of caution. I would hate to give advice to someone that resulted in the loss of their birds.