Where to put ducks to sleep??? HELP NEEDED

[JNC]

if you are leaving food you HAVE to leave water. NO negotiation there!

okay! I will stop giving them food at night and see if i see any difference!

 

[21hens-incharge]

okay! I will stop giving them food at night and see if i see any difference!

The reason water is REQUIRED when there is food is they MUST wash it down.

Without water they CANNOT swallow.

Just stressing the importance of not giving food when water is not present.

 

[calrock67]

I ordered this for my pekins:

I got it off amazon. It was expensive and I had to do some adjustments but I have four ducks and they are good in it. I got rid of the water tub and screwed in a piece of plywood. I also put a tray underneath the wired floor so I could clean up easier. Like I said it was expensive but in the long run it was worth it for me. I am not handy when it comes to building things and this was really easy to put together. I live in the UP of Michigan so I will have to do something different in the winter. It just gets too cold up here.

 

[free range possum]

I have two pekin ducks about a month old and they get scared very easily with sudden noise or movements or even loud noises. It’s going to be storming all night and I know my ducks will be frightened because it stormed a couple weeks ago and they absolutely HATED it. They were even trying to squeeze their way out! They were scared and crying for help. It makes a lot of noise when it rains because their coop has a tin roof. Is there anything i can put over the roof so it doesn’t make as much noise? View attachment 2206875

Can you put a 55 gal drum with end off, in there? It will kill the percussions that hurt their ears. You can put some bags of potting soil, mulch or if you have a neighbor that feeds round bales, then ask if you can peel the outside "rind" of hay off a round bale to lay on roof . Also, a couple of 2 ltr bottles of warm water wrapped with a feather boa (from goodwill or yardsale) and a light helps. You can also give them some small bits of softened carrots, pumpkin pie filling with scratch/black sunflower stirred into and spooned out into balls the size of grapes..to distract them. My standby is watermelon rinds pulsed in food processor so it's like a little chunky salsa and mix whatever dried Italian seasoning like oregano you may have in the cabinet. Also, no matter how old, a stressed, injured bird fowl or chicken, usually will take to some softie boiled eggs crumbled.I make a tea from boiled oregano and offer it to all my birds and it seems worth the effort.

 

[free range possum]

I ordered this for my pekins: View attachment 2207411 I got it off amazon. It was expensive and I had to do some adjustments but I have four ducks and they are good in it. I got rid of the water tub and screwed in a piece of plywood. I also put a tray underneath the wired floor so I could clean up easier. Like I said it was expensive but in the long run it was worth it for me. I am not handy when it comes to building things and this was really easy to put together. I live in the UP of Michigan so I will have to do something different in the winter. It just gets too cold up here.

Even with the lake effect up there, all you should need is a heat lamp or wall heater like made for kennels and a wind break on north such as a tarp. I came here to Texas from NYC and mine were on my 10th story building top but we had fowl in Alaska and had no issues but water freezing. Tractor supply store should have on line the same coop cheaper, and these Waterers with heated base that should be reduced as its off season. Please note, It's do hot here in Texas, I'd sure like to be in Alpena right now , trout fishing. Put your coop on bricks and it will last longer and you can raise earthworms under it ad a treat! Tractor Supply Store (tsc) shipps! Portable carport (on sale )that can be set up in a hour, then wrapped in net or chinlink and a little dog house from craigslist. You could also approach, next time if you want to try a chicken tractor to move them on fresh grass, the local high school ag teacher and offer them the hoop house tractor project for class to build if you pay for supplies and maybe make some pizza, ...I know it's weird, but you'd be surprized how the challenge will appeal and how fun it could be! Usually firefighters will do something like this,for a little cash. Can't hurt to ask

 

[free range possum]

I ordered this for my pekins: View attachment 2207411 I got it off amazon. It was expensive and I had to do some adjustments but I have four ducks and they are good in it. I got rid of the water tub and screwed in a piece of plywood. I also put a tray underneath the wired floor so I could clean up easier. Like I said it was expensive but in the long run it was worth it for me. I am not handy when it comes to building things and this was really easy to put together. I live in the UP of Michigan so I will have to do something different in the winter. It just gets too cold up here.

Even with the lake effect up there, all you should need is a heat lamp or wall heater like made for kennels and a wind break on north such as a tarp. I came here to Texas from NYC and mine were on my 10th story building top but we had fowl in Alaska and had no issues but water freezing. Tractor supply store should have on line the same coop cheaper, and these Waterers with heated base that should be reduced as its off season. Please note, It's do hot here in Texas, I'd sure like to be in Alpena right now , trout fishing. Put your coop on bricks and it will last longer and you can raise earthworms under it ad a treat! Tractor Supply Store (tsc) shipps! Portable carport (on sale )that can be set up in a hour, then wrapped in net or chinlink and a little dog house from craigslist. You could also approach, next time if you want to try a chicken tractor to move them on fresh grass, the local high school ag teacher and offer them the hoop house tractor project for class to build if you pay for supplies and maybe make some pizza, ...I know it's weird, but you'd be surprized how the challenge will appeal and how fun it could be! Usually firefighters will do something like this,for a little cash. Can't hurt to ask

 

[free range possum]

I ordered this for my pekins: View attachment 2207411 I got it off amazon. It was expensive and I had to do some adjustments but I have four ducks and they are good in it. I got rid of the water tub and screwed in a piece of plywood. I also put a tray underneath the wired floor so I could clean up easier. Like I said it was expensive but in the long run it was worth it for me. I am not handy when it comes to building things and this was really easy to put together. I live in the UP of Michigan so I will have to do something different in the winter. It just gets too cold up here.

Even with the lake effect up there, all you should need is a heat lamp or wall heater like made for kennels and a wind break on north such as a tarp. I came here to Texas from NYC and mine were on my 10th story building top but we had fowl in Alaska and had no issues but water freezing. Tractor supply store should have on line the same coop cheaper, and these Waterers with heated base that should be reduced as its off season. Please note, It's do hot here in Texas, I'd sure like to be in Alpena right now , trout fishing. Put your coop on bricks and it will last longer and you can raise earthworms under it ad a treat! Tractor Supply Store (tsc) shipps! Portable carport (on sale )that can be set up in a hour, then wrapped in net or chinlink and a little dog house from craigslist. You could also approach, next time if you want to try a chicken tractor to move them on fresh grass, the local high school ag teacher and offer them the hoop house tractor project for class to build if you pay for supplies and maybe make some pizza, ...I know it's weird, but you'd be surprized how the challenge will appeal and how fun it could be! Usually firefighters will do something like this,for a little cash. Can't hurt to ask

 

[CaddyShackFarms]

if you are leaving food you HAVE to leave water. NO negotiation there!

Agreed. You cannot leave food without water as they can choke.

 

[Ratchnick]

Plus If they are eating all night they are pooping all night so it costs more in feed and bedding and time every morning.

 

[calrock67]

Even with the lake effect up there, all you should need is a heat lamp or wall heater like made for kennels and a wind break on north such as a tarp. I came here to Texas from NYC and mine were on my 10th story building top but we had fowl in Alaska and had no issues but water freezing. Tractor supply store should have on line the same coop cheaper, and these Waterers with heated base that should be reduced as its off season. Please note, It's do hot here in Texas, I'd sure like to be in Alpena right now , trout fishing. Put your coop on bricks and it will last longer and you can raise earthworms under it ad a treat! Tractor Supply Store (tsc) shipps! Portable carport (on sale )that can be set up in a hour, then wrapped in net or chinlink and a little dog house from craigslist. You could also approach, next time if you want to try a chicken tractor to move them on fresh grass, the local high school ag teacher and offer them the hoop house tractor project for class to build if you pay for supplies and maybe make some pizza, ...I know it's weird, but you'd be surprized how the challenge will appeal and how fun it could be! Usually firefighters will do something like this,for a little cash. Can't hurt to ask

Thank you, I tried the local school but with COVID 19 I didn't get any takers. Just so you know the weather up here as been amazing! It's cooler right now but has been in the high 80's. We are actually getting a summer for a change!