We we're gifted two pekin chicks this spring who have been living in our backyard in a 3'x4' house with kiddie pool .They seem pretty happy with it and greet us every time we walk out the back door. This will be our first winter with them. currently we have 4 Cochin hens, 1 Cochin rooster, 2 wyandotte chickens in the 6'x12" hen house. In the goat barn we have a 6'x6' enclosed guinea area with a window 3' off the ground that opens to let them in and out while keeping goats out. We also have 3 peahens and one peacock in a 12'x32' netted run connected to a 8'x8' house. I'm wondering if they need to room with any of the other birds this winter as they all have heated waterers. We live in mid Missouri and the kiddie pool would freeze daily and I dread the idea of filling/dumping it daily. The chickens and guineas eat layer crumbles /scratch grains while the ducks and peacocks eat game bird feed. Any thoughts?
Whom to room with for the winter
- Thread starter Wyleekiot
- Start date
I House my Ducks exclusively alone. Bath water on warmer winter days . Lots of straw and shavings in the house to protect from cold.
- Thread starter
- #3
Your going to have to figure that out when the time comes..We all struggle during winter and owning Birds...
All my birds house together in winter their choice I don’t keep food and water inside though but I do use heated buckets outside if your ducks are use to the chickens and vise versa you might try it this would be the group I’d go with . If they aren’t use to each other you have plenty of time to get them going. I did put roost shelves up so the ducks and geese don’t get pooped on by the chickens you could even give your 2 ducks their own private cubby when I had multiple drakes that is what we did they had their own little bedroom to sleep in inside the coop.
I don't think they need other birds for warmth. They don't need bathing water every day. I give mine bathing water maybe once a week in winter depending on weather. When it freezes, it freezes. The winter pool is smaller and once frozen I'll flip it upside down, the sun warms the bottom and the ice chunk will fall out. I have tried heated water, but personally I found it as easy to give them a 3-5 gallon bucket for drinking and cleaning. The ducks dunk their heads so often it rarely freezes all the way through, they are constantly breaking the ice layer that forms on top. I refill with fresh/thawed water once or twice a day and it's usually enough. Either have a second bucket indoors that you can rotate with the frozen one or bring the water inside the human house overnight. Pekins are large (and fatty) ducks and they will be just fine in winter.
Naw I don’t think mine all like to sleep in one house for warmth but this time of year they can be a big happy family
Mine sure don't think human emotions and never will be one big happy family...
Let’s not get technical what I am saying is this time of year everyone gets along and if they all want to sleep in one house with each other then that’s what they do they are 1 big happy flock family
I think mine would be a dysfunctional family at best
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