when can my ducklings go outside?

[fowlsessed]

they're Rouens and almost a month old.

 

[Mum]

I suppose it depends on your weather and your setup.

I put my two IR outside earlier this week (aged 4 & 5 weeks). They are in a sturdy, enclosed, fox proof run and insulated housing. They are loving it!

 

[wildpeas]

Do you mean go outside permanently or just during the day?

 

[dennin7418]

Mine are 5 weeks and they are going out this weekend at the latest...they are just too big and messy for the basement. They go out during the day and love to get sprayed by the hose but during the week they are inside as I cannot be home to watch them.

House is built just need to make the run....

 

[Birde]

I have some 3 days old outside. I was just letting them play in their run my hubby built yesterday. Mother sits on them at night. It's cool & windy but they are very messy with their water & I find keeping the water from the nesting area great. Yesterday I had to keep changing the hay. They are so funny to watch running. e I have 13 & Mother. I hope it warms up today for them. I worry :/

 

[jessiduck]

I would leave them outside in the day as long as its around high 50's-60's , but at night bring them inside!

 

[fowlsessed]

OK, Tonight is supposed to be the last cool night for around here. They're outside now I just wanted to know if they could go outside perm. cause they are making a MESS inside. I just cleaned up inside so I really don't want to put them in again. If it stays in the above the 50's then I will probably leave them outside with the heat lamp tonight.

 

[zooweemama]

Mine are just shy of 3 weeks old. At 2 weeks old- when it's in the upper 70s, dry and sunny- I let them go outside in a dog kennel for a short while But last night we moved them to their coop. Their coop is full enclosed, draft free and has a light and red heat lamp- so they are fine. I recently began putting them in a penned of section of the yard near their coop and they like that. It's been 80/90 F outside- so pretty warm. It is supposed to rain this week and be in the 60s and those days they will stay in their coop.

 

[jessiduck]

I think that will be fine, you're using good judgment! Have a heat lamp on though!

 

[Ilovemyduckies]

What do you mean? Are you planning to put them outside during the day? Or 24/7? I have ducklings that are almost 4 weeks old, and they do fine outside during the day. It has been really warm around here though. I would advise that you don't put them outside permanently until they are or are almost fully feathered. I put ducks outside before they were fully feathered. they acted fine. Then one day I walked outside to one of them dead, which left me with one, who was really lonely. i don't know if that's what caused it, but it definitely could have been. i know they don't need to be COMPLETELY feathered. I have a picture of two of my ducks laying together with a gate in between (they were separated, cause the other wasn't fully grown). In the picture she still had a little bit of baby fuzz on her head, and I put her out there about a month before that and she did fine (after the other one died, I brought her in for a while longer)