When is it too cold for ducks? - it's freezing in Portland, OR

[Hattiegun]

ya know Kansaskid.. I have also camped in worse.. geezzzz what am I thinkin LMAO !!!!
gettin Old and worry bout everythng... I would let them live in my house and sleep with me if they could...
I think I have a problem.. 'Over Obsessed' as my niece says...




oh and Bleenie, thats my nesting box over to the right... Blacktop used it everyday when she figured it out
she isnt laying now... ( I think u were the one asking about nesting boxes ))

 

[KansasKid]

haha, i know how it is to worry about them. This year i ran across some bahama pintails at a poultry auction and i worried that being a tropical duck they might not handle the cold so well so i built a small building inside the aviary that has a heat lamp. So far i have only seen them in it once though.

 

[Where The Wild Things Are]

My two Rouen's sleep in either their pond or pool. I have freaked myself out worrying about them. But thanks to all the great advice from my forum friends I'm now worry free. We have a lot of wild ducks around all winter long...so if they are ok, my 2 spoiled brats should be just fine. And if not...I'm sure they will let me know.

 

[katharinad]

Holderread suggests to provide a wind protected yard or shed with heavy straw bedding when the temps go below 20 degrees. He also suggest that they can handle 0 degrees with wind protection.

So I start to worry when it hits the 20 degree mark. It is better to protect them then to deal with frost bite on their feet. I still keep the duck house around 40 degrees so they keep on laying eggs. I just love my duckies and pamper them a little bit.

 

[Bleenie]

I put boards up all around my duck run for a windbreak. I also piled up straw but after last night I have to throw down some more. with the snow & wind the inside of the run has snow in half of it

 

[Hattiegun]

Quote:
yes we are hitting the 20 degree mark at nite now.. I did throw a bunch of straw outside the pen and some shelter when they are out during the day.. I guess my biggest concern is when the goof-balls stay in the pond @ nite when its COLD... they just wont listen to me !!!

 

[DuckLady]

It was -21 with the wind chill last night. The ducks were ok at 22 in their garage with straw bale walls. They put off a lot of heat.

The only bad part is their weary slave going out several times a day to refill the water for them to drink from.

 

[duckking]

I took out snow and put down a bunch of straw in their run this AM. Just going out now to throw more shavings and straw into their house. Sun's going down and it's supposed to go down to 6F tonight. Better than the 1F they were saying yesterday. I kept chopping open the pool, but it froze over again almost immediately, so I gave up and covered it. They were not happy

Going to give them a bunch of meal worms before they put themselves to bed. Thank goodness it's supposed to warm up after tonight. They are calling for 43 degree's and rainy by Thursday! Normal PNW weather. A little worried about the chickens, but they have a heat lamp on in the coop. I'll check them before I go to bed and bring them in if they are looking distressed. I was also considering sneaking the ducks in there to sleep on the floor as the chickens roost up high, but that might just put the chickens over the edge, especially since I lock them all up at night! The ducks already decided that they liked the chickens part of the run better today, so they hunkered down in there. Chickens were not amused.

 

[Wifezilla]

Yes, us poor duck slaves have it worse

My ducks have an igloo they can all pile in to keep warm. That igloo is in a covered pen blocked from wind on 3 sides. They also have an extra little dog house inside the night pen and a big dog house in the run. Lots of fresh straw in all spots. Where do they usually sleep? Under a shrub

 

[duckking]

Quote:
Ducks really are silly. I can't imagine why they don't understand that they should be where we think they should be, as opposed to where they seem to want to be. Stubborn critters.....